The National Health Service provides a range of services to Italian and foreign citizens free of charge or upon payment of a participation fee (co-payment), through public or private contracted facilities.
The city of Parma has a Public Hospital and Private Clinics.
Students who are citizens of the European Union in order to enjoy the services offered by the National Health Service should be provided with the new a href="http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=509&langId=en">European Health Insurance Card.
Individuals enrolled in the National Health Service (NHS) are issued a health card . This document is individual and is used to access care (e.g., doctor visits, tests, hospitalization). At the time of enrollment, the person chooses a family doctor or pediatrician, whose name appears on the health card. Registration with the SSN is free of charge. For foreignersthe health card has the same duration as the residence permit.
For enrollment in the National Health Service, it is necessary to apply to the District of the Local Health Authority of residence with a personal ID, residence permit, and self-certification of residence.
To foreigners who are not members of the European Union and who are in the process of regularization, thanks to the'introduction of the legislation on the emersion of irregular labor (so-called "amnesty"), the Emilia-Romagna Region guarantees the same health care due to foreigners who are already working regularly. The USL of its territory issues a health card for registration with the Health Service, temporary in nature (6 months), renewable, valid until the end of the procedure for issuing a residence permit.
Special rules regulate assistance to foreign citizens temporarily staying in Italy for tourism, study or work and to Italian citizens residing abroad who temporarily return to Italy, again for tourism, study or work.
EU citizens residing in Italy enjoy the same treatment as Italian citizens, and this benefit is also extended to non-EU family members holding the right of residence (Legislative Decree 3/2007 implementing EU Directive 38/2004). Three months after entering Italy, the foreign EU citizen must register at the registry office of the municipality of residence and compulsorily enroll in the National Health Service, thus being able to choose the family doctor or pediatrician of choice for their children (for domiciled persons, registration in the National Health Service is valid for one year). Registration requires reporting to the District of the Azienda Usl of residence.