The State-Regions Conference has signed the agreement on the new ministerial decree which reviews the costs for outpatient specialists and prosthetic assistance. The new tariffs will come into force starting from 21 September 2026. The date was identified by mutual agreement with the Regions to guarantee an orderly transition, without regulatory gaps.
The regulatory intervention concerns 448 specialist services and 222 identification codes relating to benefits with respect to prosthetic devices. There have been changes, and upwards, to adapt reimbursements to the real costs incurred by the structures and definitively unlock the services provided by the new essential levels of assistance.
Why it was necessary to raise the maximum ceilings
This measure was necessary due to the judicial dispute between the Ministry and the local authorities, which had affected the decree of 25 November 2024. The sentences of the Administrative Court of the Lazio Region, in particular n. 16399 of 2025, had canceled the 2024 provision, criticizing the offices in Via Giorgio Ribotta for using outdated cost analyzes and a too limited survey sample.
To ensure citizens’ right to assistance, the administrative judge had deferred the effects of the annulment of the sentence. In the meantime, the Government has been able to launch a national survey to have a mapping of the costs of the services in question that is more faithful to reality. And at that point it was only a matter of time before the new price list was produced.
Expenses will increase, reaching 210.7 million euros
The new tariff entails a significant increase in spending for public coffers. For the final part of 2026 alone, the estimated burden is close to 70.3 million euros. For the year 2027, it is estimated that the economic impact will be 210.7 million euros divided as follows:
- 183.1 million euros for outpatient specialists, net of tickets;
- 27.6 million euros for prosthetic assistance.
The coverage will be guaranteed by the allocations introduced by the Budget Law, integrated by residual resources identified by the Ministry of Health.
How much more do visits, analyzes and prosthetics cost?
The price corrections made by the Government will cause tariff increases aimed at supporting the provision of highly complex and frequent services. The average increase in cost for the revised services is around 6% total. Specifically:
- the average fee for a first specialist visit rises to 26 euros, with higher values when it comes to particular highly complex branches;
- remunerations for color Doppler ultrasound, vascular diagnostics, endoscopy, electromyography and nuclear medicine will be increased;
- there will also be a change in cost for peritoneal dialysis, the rate of which will increase by 15% to encourage home care, to reduce the pressure on hospital structures;
- with the updating of 222 codes for prosthetic assistance, which will record an increase in rates for numerous aids.
What changes for citizens
The entry into force of the provision from 21 September gives the Regions and Local Health Authorities time to update both the IT booking systems and the healthcare accounting. This tariff adjustment appears to allow patients to have homogeneous access to tests, visits and aids throughout the national territory. By increasing prices for everyone, regional disparities are reduced and the risk that in some parts of Italy services are not provided due to outdated prices.
