Public health spending in
Italy dropped in 2013 for the first time in 20 years, a joint
study by Bocconi University's Research Center on Public Health
Management (CERGAS) and Bayer pharmaceuticals showed Monday.
Public health spending dropped by 1.2% in 2013 over the
previous year, falling from 7.3% to 7.2% of GDP in the same
period, the study said.
The public health budget deficit fell to about 1% of
current spending, with a forecast surplus of 518 million euros
in 2012 and of 811 million euros in 2013, according to the
study.
The hard part, researchers said, will be reorganizing
services in line with "emerging epidemiology".
Local public health providers "have made a minor miracle,"
the study said.
"They balanced their budgets, kept spending even for five
years, and maintained quality of service in spite of an aging
population, deteriorating epidemiology, new technologies and a
rise in poverty".
On the down side, reining in spending has meant that
retiring staff are not being replaced - causing staff levels to
drop 1.5% a year over the past three years - wages have been
frozen, and many services being contracted out to third parties,
such as cooperatives.
The net result, the study showed, is that Italians have
begun treating health care as a luxury.
"Decreased public spending has not been replaced with
increased private spending, which has dropped 1.5% in 2012 and
by 5.3% in 2013," the study said.
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