Temporary migrants from Ukraine to Italy are entitled to free state medical care, but its amount depends on their status.

If the permit of temporary protection is not issued, Ukrainians in Italy have free access to emergency care in emergency departments, vaccination, referral for clinical examinations, visits to specialists and medication.

To receive health care, you need an STP code (straniero temporaneamente presente - a foreigner temporarily staying in Italy) or an SSR card for children and pregnant women. It is issued by the Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL). Contact them as soon as you arrive in Italy. To obtain the code, you must provide personal data (bring your passport).

Also within 48 hours of arrival in Italy you need to take a test for COVID-19 in ASL.

The temporary protection certificate in Italy provides temporary migrants from Ukraine with access to free public medicine on an equal footing with Italian citizens.

To gain the access, you need to register with the ASL medical institutions at the place of residence for which temporary protection has been requested and choose a general practitioner (similar to a family doctor in Ukraine) or a pediatrician for a child. This is done immediately at the institution during registration.

Useful contacts:

Toll-free number for Ukrainians in Italy for all questions: 1500 (round the clock; from 8:00 to 20:00 - in Ukrainian and Russian).

Doctor's appointment services in Italy:

http://doctorsinitaly.com (English-speaking doctors)

idoctors.it

doctolib.it

miodottore.it

A service for searching for 24/7 drug stores http://www.farmaciediturno.net/ 

How the medical system works in Italy

Italy has a universal system of medical access, under which all people in the country have access to the necessary medical services free of charge or without excessive financial burden.

The country has a public health insurance program, which covers part of the services, and a private one, which can cover most services, but the exact list depends on the conditions of insurance. For temporary migrants from Ukraine, state health insurance in Italy is available free of charge.

According to official rules, you can choose a doctor yourself, but in the institution of residence (registration). However, in practice, a patient from Ukraine can be referred to an institution in another city and a doctor can be appointed there.

The doctor can be changed at any time without explanation. The doctor has the right to refuse from a patient, but he/she is obliged to provide a justification.

A pediatrician is visited by a child under 14 years of age.

In addition to monitoring the patient, drawing up a treatment plan, consultations, general practitioner:

- conducts a general medical examination in accordance with the schedule of examinations;

- prescribes referrals to narrow specialists (including gynecologists), as well as for analysis and hospitalization;

- prescribes prescriptions for medicines available in pharmacies;

- writes out hospital records, school certificates, etc .;

- prescribes referrals for pregnancy support and accompanying examinations, assistance in case of childbirth and in the postpartum period.

A general practitioner can be visited at a medical facility by appointment or called home, if necessary - it is free of charge. The waiting period will depend on the doctor and the institution.

For some services, the patient may be asked to pay a small commission (so-called ticket). The amount of additional payment depends on the region. The following are exempt from any additional payments:

- children under 6 years of age if they apply to specialized specialists (in some regions - up to 14 years old);

- persons with chronic diseases or rare pathologies;

- disabled people;

- victims of terrorist attacks;

- pensioners over the age of 65;

- family members whose confirmed annual income does not exceed a certain minimum (36 thousand euros).

If you need help during non-working hours or urgently, you need to contact the Servizio di continuità assistenziale.

To get to school, a child must be vaccinated according to the vaccination schedule, which is mandatory for school attendance. Vaccination is desirable for adults, but not mandatory. Ukrainian children in Italy can get vaccinated free of charge. To do this, one needs to contact the medical institution where the temporary migrant is registered.

Free medical care and benefits for Ukrainians

List of free medical services for Ukrainians in Italy:

- consultations and observations of a general practitioner or pediatrician;

- emergency medical care;

- vaccination against COVID-19 and assistance in case of illness with COVID-19;

- consultations and supervision of narrow specialists upon a referral of a general practitioner or pediatrician;

- vaccinations according to the vaccination calendar;

- assistance during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as in the postpartum period;

- general medical examination;

- hospitalization under the direction of a general practitioner or emergency physician;

- examination for tuberculosis;

- basic dental procedures;

- free medicines or medicines that are partially free.