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<\/p>\nI get a lot emails from both travelers and expats asking me about staying healthy in Italy and\u00a0healthcare options. The first thing I do is reassure them that they have nothing to worry about. First of all it\u2019s Italy, so as Hippocrates said, \u201cLet food be thy medicine!\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, a nice healthy plate of pasta won\u2019t really help you if you get hit by a renegade Vespa. In that case, take comfort in knowing that the Emergency Rooms (pronto soccorso<\/em>) in Italy are well-staffed<\/strong> and\u2014get this\u2014FREE. Yes, that\u2019s right. It\u2019s free of charge for citizens, residents, illegal aliens, and tourists.<\/p>\n Here are some useful phone numbers:<\/p>\n Well, hopefully it won\u2019t come to that. But if you want to have some extra peace of mind, then you can always buy insurance. The type of insurance that you\u2019ll need will depend on your length of stay<\/strong>.<\/p>\n First, it’s possible that your foreign carrier might<\/em> cover you in Italy. BUT, of course you’d have to pay up front, and then fight an endless battle to get reimbursed once you return to your home country, which may or may not happen. So…<\/p>\n For tourist visiting for a few weeks, a few months, and all the way up to a year, all you really need is traveler\u2019s insurance. It\u2019s not really intended to be comprehensive coverage for every little head cold, but it will take care of any unfortunate hospital stay<\/strong>, should you need it.<\/p>\n Check out\u00a0Atlas Travel Insurance<\/strong><\/a>. It\u2019s affordable, and you can customize your coverage<\/strong> from 5 to 364 days, which includes 24-hour travel services such as lost luggage and travel document recovery. It also meets the insurance requirement for your Schengen Visa.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re staying longer,\u00a0you may elect to purchase \u201cexpat insurance\u201d through a foreign insurance company<\/strong>. The main advantage of this type of policy is that treatment is unrestricted and you can choose any doctor, specialist, clinic, or hospital in Italy.\u00a0Compared to the Italian state-sponsored system (SSN), it\u2019s expensive, but compared to equivalent coverage in the US, it\u2019s a steal. I used a company called Helvetia from Switzerland<\/a>.<\/p>\n Speaking of which, if you are a legal resident with a\u00a0Permesso di Soggiorno<\/em>,\u00a0then you have an opportunity to participate in the national healthcare system<\/strong>.\u00a0This is called, voluntary subscription (l\u2018iscrizione volontaria)<\/em>. Here is the website with all the information:\u00a0Assistenza Sanitaria<\/a>. Unfortunately, they have been updating the website recently. As of March, 2015, they English version is not yet available. But check it anyway. By the time you read this, maybe it\u2019s been updated.<\/p>\n A quick word or two about pharmacies and medications.\u00a0Pharmacies in Italy operate totally differently than in the U.S.\u2014there are no big drugstores like Walgreen\u2019s or CVS.\u00a0Opposite to the US system,\u00a0in Italy OTC drugs are quite expensive while prescription drugs are either free or very cheap<\/strong>\u00a0(provided that they were prescribed by an Italian doctor, of course).<\/p>\n If you take any regular meds, I\u2019d suggest that you bring enough to cover you for the entire length of your stay, if possible.\u00a0If not, then go to the\u00a0Guardia Medica<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>and ask them for assistance.<\/p>\n Well, I know we don\u2019t like to think about these things, but to enjoy \u201cthe sweet life,\u201d you need to stay healthy. So do like Hippocrates suggests and just go find some pasta and wine! In Italy, it’s easier than falling off a Vespa.<\/p>\n\n
Staying Healthy in Italy<\/h2>\n