New Tariff Nomenclatures: An Epochal Change for Healthcare

December 30th will mark a fundamental date for the Italian healthcare system, with the entry into force of the new tariff nomenclatures for specialist and prosthetic medicine. This update, awaited for 28 years, not only introduces new services, but represents a real paradigm shift for public health, significantly expanding the range of services.

Innovations in Specialty and Prosthetics

The new rates concern over 3,000 outpatient and prosthetic services, touching on areas such as:

• Medically assisted procreation
• Genetic counseling
• Adrotherapy
• Enteroscopy with ingestible microcamera
• Stereotactic radiotherapy Furthermore, the introduction of digital hearing aids, home automation equipment and advanced systems for artificial limbs is expected. The Tariff Decree, approved by the State-Regions Conference after a long discussion between the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), the Ministry of Health and the Regions, has finally received the green light after almost a decade of discussions.

The overall impact of the new tariffs is estimated at €549.9 million, including €502.3 million for outpatient specialist care and €47.6 million for prosthetics. This marks an increase of approximately €150 million compared to the previous version of 2023.

Details on What’s New Introduces

Several aspects have been revised:

• Advanced Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services: Wider access has been introduced to innovative therapies that were previously only available in the experimental phase.
• Ophthalmology: Cataract procedure fees have been modified to include additional fees to cover anesthesia evaluation.
• Medically assisted procreation: The rates of the Emilia-Romagna Region have been adopted. These cover all cycles of the couples' care pathway and also include the procurement of gametes.

Towards a Sustainable Future

With the implementation of these new tariff nomenclatures, a greater sustainability of the Italian healthcare system is expected. The necessary financial coverage will be guaranteed through funds already provided for in the DPCM LEA of 12 January 2017 and additional resources deriving from law no. 234/2021. This change offers not only an update of the services but also a broader perspective on the sustainability of healthcare services in the long term.