National Healthcare Service (Istalia)

The National Healthcare Service (Istalian: Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, abbreviated SSN) is the publicly funded national healthcare system of Istalia. Primarily funded through the general taxation system and overseen by the National Department of Health, part of the Ministry of Health and Social services, SSN provides healthcare to all legal Istalian residents, with most services free at the point of use. Some services, such as emergency treatment and treatment of infectious diseases are free for everyone, including visitors.

The SSN provides the majority of healthcare in Istalia, including primary care, in-patient care, long-term healthcare, ophthalmology and dentistry. The Universal Healthcare and Welfare Reform came into effect on July 4172. However, in 4207 with the National Welfare Reform the public health services was reformed into a single-payer scheme system with the health services provided by private clinics, doctors and companies while the SSN was almost abolished, reduced to an agency of the Ministry of Health and Social services to handle the financial needs to cover the public subsides for the health insurances of the citizenship and for the basic health and emergency service, which any healthcare provider was obliged to ensure. This system charaterized Istalian health care system for almost one and half a century but in the middle of 44th century was re-established the National Healthcare Service in the form of a publicly funded national healthcare system on the basis of the universal reform of 4172.

The SSN is largely funded from general taxation with a small amount being contributed by National Insurance payments. The istalian government department responsible for the SSN is the National Department of Health, headed by the Undersecretary of Health.

Quality of the service
Thanks to a well funded administration (the public healthcare has often absorbed the largest expensses of the national budget) and to the universal coverage for all the citizen, the Istalian healthcare is able to offer high quality services, the best in Majatra and one of the best all over the world.

Health and Healthcare in Istalia
          See: Health in Istalia