September 21, 2026 is a very important date, because the rates of healthcare services provided on behalf of the National Health Service change. It is what is called a tariff decree, approved at the State-Regions Conference.
In practice, the costs of over 600 services including outpatient specialists and prosthetic assistance will be increased. Many patients will therefore find themselves having to deal (literally) with a possible increase in visits and tests, perhaps frequent ones due to problems of various kinds, for a calculated average impact of 5.8%.
But why is all this happening? We have to take a step back until 2024. The previous decree was not at all appreciated by private structures. It was then canceled by the Lazio Regional Administrative Court, following appeals from these entities, which judged those tariffs to be too low.
Health ticket: what changes from 21 September
The new decree updates the maximum reimbursement rates for 448 specialist outpatient services (visits and diagnostic tests) and 222 codes, out of a total of 1,063, of the nomenclature of customized prosthetic assistance (specifically, particular attention is paid to aids for people with disabilities).
The operation, decided at national level and shared by the Regions, will entail additional spending of 210.7 million euros per year when fully operational:
- 183.1 million for specialists;
- 27.6 million for prosthetics.
The increases performance by performance
As mentioned, the average increase is around 5.8%, but varies greatly from one performance to another. Some will cost a few cents more, others will undergo a more marked transformation. Finally, the calculation predicts that 8 out of 10 performances will remain unchanged.
In this scenario, here are the main cases with a comparison between the 2025 tariffs and the new ones starting from 21 September 2026. Among the specialist visits that increase:
- first specialist visit (basic) from 25.00 to 26.00 euros;
- first cardiological visit (with electrocardiogram) from 33.60 to 38.00 euros;
- first eye exam from 25.80 to 26.80 euros;
- dental visit from 25.35 to 26.40 euros;
- ENT visit from 26.20 to 27.20 euros;
- audiological or phoniatric visit from 22.00 to 26.00 euros.
The new amount of 26 euros also concerns, among others, the first neurological, gynecological, orthopedic, pneumological, endocrinological and gastroenterological visits.
Among tests and diagnostic procedures:
- venous blood sampling from 3.80 to 4.30 euros;
- electrocardiogram from 11.60 to 12.05 euros;
- simple spirometry from 24.00 to 24.90 euros;
- fine needle aspiration of the breast from 31.25 to 36.50 euros.
Looking instead at the average increases by industry, in percentage, the following stand out:
- vascular diagnostics +52.5%;
- biopsy +16.8%;
- electromyography +13.3%;
- withdrawal +12.8%;
- rehabilitation +9%;
- color Doppler ultrasound +5.4%;
- nuclear medicine +4.5%;
- other instrumental diagnostics +3.8%;
- dialysis +3.6%;
- first visit +4.4%.
Finally, on the prosthetic front, the update concerns devices such as spinal orthoses, limb prostheses and optical aids, as well as aids for people with disabilities. However, there is a detail to take into account. Where the ceiling of 36.15 euros per prescription remains in force, the actual increase in the copay may be more limited. Suffice it to say that for the first cardiological visit, for example, the fee rises by 4.40 euros, but the non-exempt citizen will not pay more than 36.15 euros. This therefore translates into an increase of 2.55 euros.
What doesn’t change
As mentioned, most of the most common features remain unchanged. For example, no changes are foreseen for: specialist check-up visit (17.90 euros), chest x-ray (15.45 euros), knee x-ray (21.15 euros), ultrasound of the lower abdomen (37.80 euros), gynecological ultrasound (30.95 euros) and bone densitometry (31.50 euros).
The main blood tests also remain stable:
- blood count;
- blood sugar;
- glycated hemoglobin;
- cholesterol;
- triglycerides;
- creatine;
- tsh;
- ves.
The only increase in price in this area is represented by the levy.
What does it mean for the ticket
The decree intervenes on reimbursement rates, i.e. on how much the State recognizes to the structures. For the non-exempt citizen, however, the ticket for specialist services corresponds precisely to the value of the tariff, within the maximum limits established per prescription.
In practice, for services whose tariff increases, those who pay the ticket will be able to see the expense increase, while it remains unchanged where the maximum limit has already been reached. This is to explain how it is therefore not a question of an increase that is the same for everyone, but of targeted increases on the individual services involved.
Those who do not pay the ticket increase: the exempt
There is obviously a decidedly large audience that will not suffer any increase. Let’s talk about those exempt from the ticket. In fact, these categories do not pay:
- citizens with income exemption (younger people or those over 65 with low family income);
- unemployed;
- holders of minimum or social pensions;
- exempt due to chronic or rare pathology;
- exempt due to disability;
- pregnant women;
- those who access some prevention and screening programs.
For all these categories the services remain free, regardless of the new tariffs.
