The article “The Role of Socio-Economic Determinants in the Interregional Allocation of Healthcare Resources: Some Insights from the 2023 Reform in the Italian NHS” by Roberto Fantozzi, Stefania Gabriele, and Alberto Zanardi, published in the Journal of Health Policy, explores the implications of Italy’s 2023 healthcare funding reform. This reform integrates socio-economic indicators into the allocation criteria for healthcare resources across Italian Regions, addressing long-standing territorial disparities and budgetary challenges.
Grounded in international practices of healthcare financing, the study evaluates the reform’s simplified funding formula and proposes an alternative model that combines socio-economic and age-related factors to assess health needs more comprehensively. Simulations reveal that this revised approach could allocate greater resources to Regions with higher deprivation levels, highlighting the potential for a more equitable distribution. The paper offers valuable insights for policymakers aiming to balance equity and efficiency in decentralised healthcare systems.