I realized I had written a quarantine vocabulary and probably never posted it? But honestly, I turned it into somethng else that may be interesting for you. It’s a very fast and not too deepened post about how health works in Itlaya, but hopefully it’s gonna give you an idea. In case you need. Ofc, here I am if I had forgotten something (which probably I have).
Il medico di base = the general pratictioner
Each of us has a doctor (usually the same person for the same family members, but not necessarily: it depends on how many free places they have cause each of them only have a maximum amount of people they can take care of) that is payed by the State (by the mutua = National health service; in fact they were called “medico della mutua” too) to which we can go anytime we feel sick or need something (even prescriptions for other exams or just a paper to be able to join the gym -that states we’re fine; or a paper that states we cannot go to work cause we’re sick and for how many days: this only if we work into public structures not if we work by ourselves ofc). This doctor works for a specific amount of hours each day (Monday-Friday), but they may visit you at home if you can’t go to their ambulatory/office. If it’s holiday or pre-holiday, you may call the “Guardia Medica”, in which there are other doctors that can visit you either in their ambulatory or at home for emergencies, but you better pray they answer you or you better go to the hospital’s first aid/emergency room.
Il dottore = the doctor; in Italy it should be “il medico” cause everyone who’s graduated from University is a “dottore” or “dottoressa”. “dottore” = “medico” is more of a slang but we do use it anyway.
We either have public health, so we can go to the hospital for exams, most of which are payed (sometimes entirely, sometimes only by half, other times at all but they don’t cost much -it depends also by age and general situation of the patient) by the State. Same goes for some medicines that are free cause are payed by the State (some others are payed partially, others ofc not at all: it depends what they serve for and who needs to take them).
But we also have private health: doctors have their own ambulatories/offices where they can visit you. Sometimes they work in private clinics too. These type of visits may cost a bit more but are way faster than the ones you can programme in hospitals (it may take you months to years for a visit atm, even serious ones). And if you have any external support as any other “mutua” (health insurances that may be private too/belong to associations you may join if you have a job or as a family member, and you pay every year for) or insurances that is not just the National one, you can get some of your money back or a discount even in private clinics. Some insurances may pay your hospital recovery or surgeries too.
