Overview

Imagine life in Milan working in high-powered fashion or finance, teaching English in Rome, or researching art in Florence. Italy is bursting with opportunities. Plus, the country is affordable and very welcoming. No wonder moving to Italy is so tempting, especially for expatriates!   

Health Care and Health Insurance in Italy

There are two options in Italy with regards to newly arrived expatriates obtaining healthcare treatment in Italy. The first is to use one of the government subsidized public hospitals. These facilities are less expensive to use than private medical facilities, however, patients not covered by the national health care system in Italy, which is also known as SSN (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale), will still have to deal with lengthy waiting times, and a huge quantity of paperwork, and even though the cost is less, these facilities are not cheap for paying patients to use. In cases of emergency, the majority of expats in Italy prefer to be treated in a major city such as Milan.

The second choice is to use one of Italy’s many high quality private hospitals or health care facilities, which will usually have a cost associated with other expensive nations around the world. The benefit with using a private hospital or clinic in Italy is in the fact that waiting times are zero, and due to the fact that these facilities are not dependant on government subsidies, the procedural factors are greatly reduced.

Expats who have newly arrived in Italy, however, are usually not eligible to receive healthcare under the SSN services, and will have to pay for all care. The reason for this is that newly arrived foreign nationals have not completed Italian residency requirements and as such are not eligible for coverage under the SSN, this means that they are forced to pay for all healthcare services, and outside of the national healthcare scheme, these services can often be extremely expensive.

Despite a minimum charge for all operations in this sector set by the Ministry of Health, private medical services vary in cost. This means it can get overly pricey and health insurance is compulsory. In many cases, employers are obligated to finance health insurance for their employees but, if not, expats should purchase it on their own.

Travel Insurance in Italy

Every year millions of tourists visit Italy. Most visits are trouble-free and the main incidents for which foreign nationals will require consular assistance is with regards to cases of petty theft and lost or stolen passports.

There have been incidents of assault in Italy that target tourists in popular tourist hot spots. As such you should be cautious and avoid traveling alone or in poorly lit areas.

There is a high accident on Italian roads. It is recommended that you take steps to familiarize yourself with Italian Driving regulations, and should you choose to drive while in the country, practice extreme care at all time.

Life Insurance in Italy

Expat life insurance in Italy is something that everyone with a young family should look at. It is often the case that the main income generator for expat families in Italy is one person so the impact on the family should a death occur to this person is potentially catastrophic.

Life insurance in Italy can allow you to cherish your years more easily without the stress brought on worrying about what will happen to your loved ones after your death. Life Insurance in Italy will bring additional peace of mind as you take on a new life with new challenges to face.