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Italian Regionalism: Between Unitary Traditions and Federal Processes pp 335–352Cite as

The Italian Health Care System and the Economics of the Right to Health

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Part of the book series: Essays on Federalism and Regionalism ((SEFR,volume 1))

Abstract

Health care is an idiosyncratic kind of service due to its particular political, social, ethical, economic, and financial character. Modern health care systems use large quantities of human, physical, and financial capital. Resources are scarce by virtue of the fact that there are many competing uses, and spending on health care means fewer resources for other possible uses such as education or transportation infrastructure. And within the health sector, resources dedicated to hospital care could involve sacrifices for community health services, while the more we spend on neonatology the less will be available for geriatric care, and so on.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Ministero della Salute (2011a, p. 15).

  2. 2.

    Ministero della Salute (2011a, p. 23).

  3. 3.

    Lo Scalzo et al. (2009, p. 95).

  4. 4.

    France et al. (2005).

  5. 5.

    Camera dei Deputati (2006–2010).

  6. 6.

    Camera dei Deputati (2006–2010).

  7. 7.

    Ministero della Salute (2007).

  8. 8.

    Buchanan (1965).

  9. 9.

    Camera dei Deputati (1977).

  10. 10.

    Tediosi et al. (2009), Bordignon and Turati (2009), and Lo Scalzo et al. (2009).

  11. 11.

    Buglione (2011).

  12. 12.

    Tediosi et al. (2009).

  13. 13.

    Della Sala (1997).

  14. 14.

    Camera dei Deputati (2006–2010).

  15. 15.

    McCarthy (1992, ch. 7).

  16. 16.

    Newdick (1995).

  17. 17.

    Weisbrod (1991, pp. 529–530).

  18. 18.

    Luciani (1991).

  19. 19.

    Newdick (1995), Holmes Sunstein (1999), Flood et al. (2005), Oliver (2003), France (1999).

  20. 20.

    Veronesi (1994, p. 179).

  21. 21.

    Tediosi et al. (2009).

  22. 22.

    Turno (2011).

  23. 23.

    ISTAT (2011).

  24. 24.

    Agenzia Sanitaria Italiana (1994).

  25. 25.

    ISTAT (2011, p. 222).

  26. 26.

    ISTAT (2011).

  27. 27.

    ISTAT (2011, p. 222).

  28. 28.

    Ministero della Salute (2011b).

  29. 29.

    Francese and Pace (2008, p. 16).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ISSiRFA-CNR, Via dei Taurini, 19, 00185, Rome, Italy

    George France

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  1. George France
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Correspondence to George France .

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  1. Regionalism, Federalism and Self-Governm, National Research Council - Institute for, Rome, Italy

    Stelio Mangiameli

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France, G. (2014). The Italian Health Care System and the Economics of the Right to Health. In: Mangiameli, S. (eds) Italian Regionalism: Between Unitary Traditions and Federal Processes. Essays on Federalism and Regionalism, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03765-3_13

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