Specialized and diagnostic clinics, sample collection centres

These services can be either inside or outside the hospital.

Specialized clinics: Here, you can undergo first examinations or specialized check-ups (e.g. dermatological/gynaecological examination etc.). First, you need the prescription of a National Healthcare System's doctor to book an appointment. Then, you must pay the "ticket" (healthcare service fee), unless you are exempt for health or income reasons.

Diagnostic clinics: Here, you can undergo diagnostic examinations that usually require specific medical equipment (e.g. ultrasound, colonoscopy, magnetic resonance, bone densitometry). First, you need the prescription of a National Healthcare System's doctor to book an appointment. Then, you must pay the "ticket" (healthcare service fee), unless you are exempt for health or income reasons. The medical prescription can solicit up to 8 examinations of the same kind, for which you have to pay just one "ticket", even if they are scheduled for different days.

Sample collection centres: These centres collect blood, urine and stool samples that will be sent to medical labs. You don't need to schedule an appointment, but you must have a medical prescription. Then, you have to pay the corresponding "ticket" if you have the prescription of a National Healthcare System's doctor (up to a maximum of 8 examinations), otherwise you must pay the entire cost.

The regional maximum cost for a "ticket" is €38.

Here's how you can schedule an appointment:

• phone call: call the Healthcare Agencies' CUP (Booking Centres)
• in person: at the Healthcare Agency's desks or some public and private pharmacies
• online: go to the website prenota.sanita.toscana.it 
• APP Toscana salute

If you cannot attend an appointment, you must call a CUP and cancel it at least 2 days before, otherwise you will have to pay the "ticket" anyway.

In public hospitals, doctors can also offer private examinations and surgical operations (private practice in hospitals) at affordable prices, even though they're more expensive than the "ticket". Exemptions for health or income reasons do not apply in this case. To book a private practice service, you can call the specific phone numbers available on the Healthcare Agencies' websites.

Exemptions based on income or health conditions

You can ask not to pay the "ticket" if you have one of the following requisites:

• age and income (under 6 or over 65 years old people belonging to a family with no more than €36.151,98 total annual income);
• specific economic conditions;
• invalidity;
• chronic pathologies;
• rare diseases;
• pregnancy, blood, organs and tissues donation;
• early diagnosis of cancer or public prevention programmes.

Many exemptions depend on pathological or invalidating conditions. Such exemptions can be total or can refer to specific services in specialized clinics. Exemptions can have either variable durations or no time limits.

Citizens who suffer from specific chronic diseases are exempt from paying the "ticket" regarding the treatment and monitoring of that disease, and the prevention of further worsening.

For more information, please go to the Health Agencies' websites