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Health Insurance and Subscription to the Italian Health Services

What kind of Health Insurance can I sign up for as soon as I arrive in Italy?

You can decide to subscribe to our National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale - SSN) or to a private health insurance.
If you go for the private option, you could also find an insurance company in your country before coming to Italy.  Otherwise you can consult the site: https://www.waitaly.net/

Why is recommended to apply to the Italian National Health Service instead of a private health insurance?

The School strongly suggests to subscribe to the Italian National Health Service because:

  • You can choose a General Pratictioner (Medico di Medicina Generale) e/o Pediatrician (Pediatra) who will be available for any health problem.
  • You can book for a specialist treatment at a very low price;
  • You can call the Emergency Medical Service (Guardia Medica) at any time during the week-end and after your General Pratictioner duty time.
How much does the subscription to the NHS cost?

The subscription to the NHS costs €700,00 and must be paid with the F24 form at any post office, bank, tobacco shop and also online. The Campus Management and Front Office of IMT School (internationalstudents@imtlucca.it) will provide you the F24 form.

Who can help me with the subscription to the National Health Service?

The Campus Management and Front Office of the School (internationalstudents@imtlucca.it) will assist you with this process by sending all necessary documents to the local National Health Service.

Which documents do I have to submit to subscribe to the National Health Service?
  • To subscribe to the NHS you need
  • Receipt of F24 form;
  • 2 application forms provided from the Campus Management and Front Office
  • Valid Passport;
  • Tax identification number (Codice Fiscale);
  • Stay Permit or receipts of the application.
For how long will I be covered with the National Health Service?

You will be covered for a solar year, that means if you apply in November, the service will expire on December 31 of the same year.

Where do I have to go once the subscription to the National Service is ready?
The National Health Service will anticipate you the temporary card by e-mail and send you the original one by post at the address of Piazza San Francesco, 19 - 55100 Lucca.
Who is the General Pratictioner?

When you register with the Italian National Health Service, you will be asked to choose a General Pratictioner or Family Doctor (Medico di Medicina Generale). On the National Health Service site, you can find a list of available doctors in Lucca, the Campus Management and Front Office will assist on this delicate choice, after that you will receive all the contact numbers and addresses of the chosen Family Doctor.

What sould I do if I need a specialist treatment?

You can go to a private medical pratictioners or rely on specialistic medical assistance provided by the NHS.

  • You should first go to your General Pratictioner who will write a prescription;
  • You should then make an appointment with the specialist doctor by contacting the health care booking service CUP (Centro Unico Prenotazioni) or by going to your local pharmacy;
  • You will pay a "ticket" for the visit, i.e. a subsidizedmedical fee (please remember to take the Health Insurance Card with you).
As an EU citizen, what kind of health insurance can I choose?

For stays of less than 3 months, EU citizens can benefit from health care in Italy thanks to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC/TEAM) issued by the health institution of their country of origin. The EHIC/TEAM allows direct access to the National Health Service for ‘urgent and/or necessary care’ (e.g. free visits to all general practitioners, access to hospitals or affiliated health centres for specialist examinations, laboratory tests, instrumental diagnostics by paying the co-pay fee).

For stays of more than 3 months, EU citizens must have private health insurance or register with the National Health Service by requesting the issue of the S1 model from the health institution in their country, which entitles them to health care like resident Italian citizens. With the S1 form, the EU citizen must then go to the CUP located in the Cittadella della Salute - Campo di Marte (https://maps.app.goo.gl/5qsBP4LzeU67F8Ts5) to request free registration with the SSN.

What is the Emergency Medical Service?
The Emergency Medical Service (Servizio di Guardia Medica) is a service that substitutes your General Pratictioner every night from 8 pm to 8 am, on weekends from 10 am to 8 pm and whenever she/he is off duty.In case of emergency you should call 0584 616779, a doctor may come to your address to visit you. Home visits are free of charge (please remember to have the Health Insurance Card with you). Otherwise, you could go directly to her/his office Cittadella della Salute "Campo di Marte" Buildig C, ground floor.
Whic is the number that I can call in case of Medical Emergency?
To get in touch with the hospital emergency department (Pronto Soccorso), you must dial 112; they can send an ambulance to your address or help you out with other kind of medical emergency. You can also download the App Where Are U (it is available for the mobile operating systems iOS, Android and Windows). Through the App, it is possible to make an emergency call by automatically forwarding to the Centrali Uniche di Risposta (CUR – Public Safety Answer Points) operator, data on the localization of the person forwarding the call, by means of the telephone GPS positioning.