The Italian health care system is a bit complex. I am slowly unraveling some of the strands as different situations unfold. It would seem there are essentially two parallel systems, one private and the other public. We have private insurance provided by our work. As such, we have access to a local doctor who speaks English and deals with the American students. For a one time, non-reimbursable fee of 50 euros you establish yourself as his patient. Once that is done all of your routine health care (well visits, flu shots, transfer of US prescriptions to Italy) is all eventually covered by insurance. For non-acute care, that seems to be the way to go. Even something like a broken arm might be best off attended to by him. Interestingly enough, he comes by the school weekly and will make house calls for a slightly higher fee.
Then there is the public health care system. A routine hospital stay is quite different here. The local hospital is well equipped (for the mid 70's). You bring your own clothes, no embarrassing hospital johnny. However, there isn't much in the way of nursing. The nurses will give you meds, administer IVs, draw blood, etc., but it is expected that a family member will be with you pretty much at all times, day and night, to help with everything else. Need help getting to the toilet; ask Aunt Rose. Want a glass of water; Uncle Marco heads to the vending machine to get you some. Want breakfast; hope that your sister remembered to bring it. What is the upside, you might ask? It's free, even to visitors like Amy and me.
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