Enrollment in the National Health Service
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 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 EU citizens. Non-EU citizens who regularly reside in Italy, for a period of more than three months, who are not entitled to compulsory registration, are required to insure themselves against the risk of illness, accident and maternity, through voluntary registration with the SSN through the payment of an annual contribution or through the stipulation of a private insurance policy. All the information are available here.
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.
