Abstract

Recent legislation has introduced in Italy «supplemental private health insurance» with the aim of solving some problems of the NHS (f.i. reduction of public waiting lists). Increases of fiscal benefits and large tax exemptions for supplemental welfare, have produced an increase of the insured (today, almost 12 millions). Empirical evidence of claimed positive effects is almost not existing. The authors discuss the main efficiency and equity problems which arise where private insurance is introduced in the context of a NHS, on the basis of research literature and data collected and published in previous publications.