Today we went to the hospital (Nottola) in Montepulciano to inquire about getting our tessura di sanitaria (sp??). Here is what we were told:

1. First they said we must have insurance because we are on ER permesso.

2. They asked what our annual income is....which is kind of hard to guess since we are living on savings/investments....but we gave them a low annual amount. They fiddled with their handheld calculator and then said our annual insurance premium would be a little over Euro 1000--for the two of us.

3. They said we should pay for this insurance at the post office, but we should wait until 1 January because it cannot be prorated (my word--but I believe this is what they were telling us) for time periods less than a year. And that the insurance only begins on the first of January and ends on the 31 December.

4. They told us that for emergencies we definitely can come to the hospital for services, anytime. Otherwise, we can still come and pay for the services we receive out-of-pocket.

Sooooo.....I have been reading the article on the Expat main site....and now am scared to death, and totally in the abyss regarding what insurance we should buy.

What kind of policy--or insurance company--does the post office sell???? The price of Euro 1000 for the two of us is extremely reasonable--but of course, I have NO IDEA what this will cover.

I would be so appreciative for any guidance (companies to call, websites to read, etc.) to help me find a suitable, affordable insurance policy for two people in relatively good health at the moment (ages 55 and 66), from the USA who are retired and have no USA health insurance once my COBRA option runs out.

It's my understanding that if you're living off investments then your income is zero. Pensions DO count as income though.

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They said we should pay for this insurance at the post office,

You are only paying (if you choose to do this) at the post office. This, and many other government fees, etc. are paid at the post office.

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Originally posted by Gioco:

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They said we should pay for this insurance at the post office,

You are only paying (if you choose to do this) at the post office. This, and many other government fees, etc. are paid at the post office.

I wonder what exactly we would be paying for. This is what the man in the administrative office at the hospital wrote down on a piece of paper for us to take to the post office. Does anyone know what it refers to???

"Regione Toscana (FI) C/C 289504
Causale: Iscrizione al S.S.N. Valevole fino al 31/12/2009

Fare a Gennaio 2009"

WHAT insurance company would we be paying for? Is it a governmentally-owned insurance company?

It's not from a company- he's given you the conte corrente for the SSN (public health system). You can pay the two €500 payments into that conte corrente at the post office in Jan 2009.

Can someone explain to me what this insurance that Italy or Bust is asking about...how does it differ if you go for insurance as a resident? or doesn't it...thanks

My understanding is you must be a resident (unless your pds receipt is for lavoro subordinato/autonomo or ricongiungimento familiare) for iscrizione SSN. However, Regione Toscano may waive the requirement- there is variation among regions.

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Originally posted by Bill 2:
It's not from a company- he's given you the conte corrente for the SSN (public health system). You can pay the two €500 payments into that conte corrente at the post office in Jan 2009.

Hmmmm...the people at the hospital kept referring to it as "insurance" we must pay. Are you saying this isn't insurance, it is simply our payment to be included in the national (public) health care system? AND, if this IS what you are saying, do we need to purchase insurance in addition to this coverage?

Whatever they called it, it's the subscription to the SSN. You pay it at the post office. As far as I know, Tuscany still requires residency before enrolling in the SSN. We did. Which isn't to say they don't make exceptions.

You would be covered from Jan 1, 2009. Whether you need coverage in the interim is probably up to you.

Graeme,

with this enrollment would we be "covered" for long-term illnesses without fear of being dropped or denied the following year(s)? (Of course, dependent on maintaining residency/permesso status.)

also, I believe I read on other threads that Americans buy travel insurance for medical purposes when they travel back to the USA (or anywhere in the world, for that matter) in case they get sick while away from Italy. Is this correct? And if so, can you provide names of companies that provide this type of insurance? Clements???

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with this enrollment would we be "covered" for long-term illnesses without fear of being dropped or denied the following year(s)? (Of course, dependent on maintaining residency/permesso status.)

Haven't heard of anyone being involuntarily
dropped or denied SSN.

I or B, aren't you still awaiting your first pds? Did the guy at the hospital say you could join in January without residenza?

You can't be dumped by the SSN if you're (a) eligible and (b) paid up. The SSN isn't health insurance. You're paying for access to the Italian health system. Chronic conditions, whatever, you will have access to the system.

You would need separate coverage travelling to the US or elsewhere. Hopefully someone with info on options will come along with suggestions.