The Parliament Budget Office (UPB) said in a report Friday that Italian health spending is set to fall from 6.8% of GDP in 2015 to 6.5% in 2019, according to estimates based on the government's economic blueprint, the Economic and Financial Document (DEF). "The overall reduction could be about half a GDP percentage point," it said. This would amount to eight billion euros, it said in its report on budget policy in 2016. Premier Matteo Renzi's executive has come under fire from regional governments over the health spending plans in its 2016 budget bill.
Renzi, however, has said that health spending will increase next year, in nominal terms at least, rising from 110 billion euros in 2015 to 111 billion in 2016.
This is two billion euros less than initially slated.
The UPB also said there was a risk of EU budget infraction procedures unless Italy secures the margins of flexibility it has asked - amounting to some two billion euros - for the migrant crisis or, separately, for anti-terror expenses.
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