Italy: Giving regions more power over healthcare will worsen inequalities, say critics

Critics have warned that a bill passed by Italy’s parliament on the 19 June,1 which grants regions more power over local services, will exacerbate historical health inequalities between the north and south of the country.The bill states that regions will be able to apply for so called differentiated autonomy, which allows them to manage and plan a range of activities that are currently more centralised, such as healthcare, education, transport, environment, energy, and taxation. Fiscal federalism will also be introduced, allowing regions to retain tax revenue for their own services rather than distributing them nationally.Italy’s national healthcare system has been going through a process of decentralisation since the early 2000s. Although the government has maintained strategic leadership of the system, the process has led to fragmentation of services and varied provision of healthcare around the country.Pierino di Silverio, president of Anaao Assomed, Italy’s biggest trade union for doctors, recently described…
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