22 October 2021 - 40 years ago, Italy saw the birth of a national, universal health care system (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale [SSN]), which provides a full range of health care services with a free choice of providers. 

The SSN is consistently rated within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development among the highest countries for life expectancy and among the lowest in health care spending as a proportion of gross domestic product.

Read The Lancet article