Health Care Delivery System: Italy

The health care delivery system may be defined as the organized set of functions and activities delivered by the state and its subsystems in order to meet the health needs of the population, respecting the dignity of the individual. According to the kind of financing, there are four types of health care systems: health care based on the private market, voluntary insurance, compulsory social insurance, and universal coverage. In reality these different health care systems can be mixed together (for instance, even though Italy has universal coverage, there is also some private insurance, and orthodontic services are provided on a fee-for-service basis). Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Scandinavian countries all have universal insurance, while Germany and France have a system of compulsory social insurance, and for-profit insurances play a significant role in the US market.