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Enrico Marro
The health chapter is one of those that most divides the majority and opposition on the measure. Resources for the health fund are increasing and more hiring is expected, but spending on GDP remains around 6%
The chapter Sanity of the maneuver it is one of those that most divides the majority and the opposition. The first is convinced that she has done the maximum in terms of additional resources, the second absolutely dissatisfied, especially in relation to needs and territorial gaps. The resources for the health fund are increasing and more hiring, salary increases for staff, more prevention and action plans for inefficient regions are expected. But spending on GDP always remains around 6%.
The national fund rises to 143 billion, 6.6 more than in 2025
The budget bill provides a increase in the fund for the national health service of approximately 2.4 billion in 2026. The new resources add to the 4.2 billion already foreseen in the 2025 budget and bring the total funds allocated to public health to 143.1 billion against 136.5 billion in 2025. The fund will then rise to 144.1 billion in 2027 and 145 billion in 2028. According to an analysis by Chiara Mingolla and Gilberto Turati on lavoce.it, starting from 2019 (before Covid), «the overall growth of resources for the National Health Service was over 25%, with cumulative inflation of just under 20%». And “the per capita value grows from around 1,900 euros per inhabitant in 2019 to 2,430 in 2026”. But the Gimbe Foundation observes that «in relation to GDP, the share allocated to the National Health Service goes from 6.04% in 2025 to 6.16% in 2026, before falling to 6.05% in 2027 and falling to 5.93% in 2028».
Medicines, spending ceiling increases but cuts on new ones
The maneuver also intervenes on pharmaceutical spending with various provisions. Starting from 2026, the ceiling on pharmaceutical spending for direct purchases (those made by National Health Service structures, such as hospitals) will be increased by 0.2% and the ceiling on affiliated pharmaceutical spending will be increased by 0.05%. Instead he suffers a cut of 140 million euros per year in the fund for innovative medicines. The contribution that pharmaceutical companies paid to the Regions, i.e. the payback equal to 1.83% of the public selling price of medicines, is also eliminated. Despite these changes, the pharmaceutical sector estimates the overall cost that would remain borne by companies at 2 billion euros compared to the spending ceilings set for 2026. Among other things, it remains the obligation for hospital companies to cover 50% of exceeding spending limits for direct purchases of medicines.
Hiring for a thousand doctors and 6 thousand nurses
With the resources allocated by the Budget Law for the hiring of permanent staff, equal to 450 million euros per year starting from 2026 (one billion and 350 million in the three-year period 2026-28), the government aims to recruit around a thousand medical managers and over 6 thousand healthcare professionals, mostly nurses. This would be an increase of approximately 1% for doctors on duty and 2.2% for nurses. Hiring essential to deal with the shortage of white coats due to the retirement of boomers and partly to the flight abroad, especially of young graduates, as well as the chronic lack of nurses. Furthermore, the maneuver extends the possibility for National Health Service entities to continue until the end of 2026 stabilize precarious health and social care personnel who has completed at least eighteen months of service, of which at least six during the Covid period.
Increases are coming to wages and benefits
The maneuver contains numerous provisions (paragraphs 357 to 361 of article 1) to increase the allowances and increases provided for healthcare and social-healthcare personnel. The specificity allowance will be increased overall 280 million euros per year starting from 2026. Of these, 85 million are intended for doctors and will produce an average annual gross increase in salary of around 3 thousand euros, while 195 million will go to nurses, with increases of around 1,630 euros gross per year, also taking into account the increases already foreseen by the 2025 Budget law. For healthcare managers there are 8 million euros, for an increase of around 490 euros gross per year. Furthermore, the allowance for patient protection and health promotion increases (1,570 euros gross per year more). Finally, until 2029, the Regions will be able to increase the funds by 1%. for bonuses and allowances for emergency room staff.
From tests to vaccines, 238 million allocated for prevention
Numerous micro-allocations intended for prevention. Approximately 238 million euros per year, starting from the year 2026, will be used for the strengthening of a series of interventions, including: mammographic screening, with the aim of extending it to women between 45 and 49 years of age and between 70 and 74 years of age;
genomic tests in cases of breast cancer; screening for colorectal cancer, with the aim of extending it to people between 70 and 74 years of age; lung cancer prevention and monitoring program; vaccination coverage; national programs for the prevention and treatment of chronic degenerative eye diseases and rheumatological diseases; latest generation tests for deafness; early diagnosis and care of people affected by Parkinson’s. In the end, 80 million in 2026, 85 million in ’27, 90 in ’28 and 30 million from ’29 will go to the National Mental Health Action Plan 2025-30.
Inefficient regions, two years to get back on track
The Budget Law also introduces tighter controls on Regions unable to guarantee their citizens the minimum level of healthcare services. Paragraph 426 of article 1, added during the examination in the Senate, establishes that if a Region does not guarantee minimum health services (Lea, Essential levels of assistance) as established by the «New guarantee system» (a monitoring system of the Ministry of Health which evaluates regional health services through specific indicators), it will subjected to verification by the Lea Committee (experts from the Ministries of Health and Economy and the Regions). They will leave inspections and a thorough investigation (audit) to analyze the causes of failure to reach the standards and define a mandatory action plan to get back in line within a maximum of two years, intervening on the deficient areas and identifying the measures to be taken to fill the gap.
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December 30, 2025
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