41.7% of families renounce health services due to wait, cost

(ANSA) - Rome, October 20 - In 41.7% of families at least one person goes without medical services during the course of a year due to long waiting lists or prohibitive costs, research institute Censis said in a report published Tuesday.
    Each year Italians spend over 500 euros per person for private health care, or 18% of total expenditure on health, Censis added. This compares to 7% in France and 9% in Britain, the study said.
    Some 53.6% of Italians now paid for many of the services that were once covered by the national health service out of their own pocket, the report found.
    In addition Censis said three million Italians were not self-sufficient, with a cost to families of roughly 10 billion euros per year.