National Social Security Authority (Instituto Nazionale Previdenza Sociale, or INPS)
The National Health Service (SSN) is funded by all residents of Italy through taxes, as well as through co-payment of the cost of medicines and health services through payment of what is referred to as the 'ticket', and managed by the individual regions through the Local Health Authorities (LHA). If you belong to any of the categories of workers indicated below, you are insured by the National Institute for Social Security (INPS):
- employees of the private sector signed up to the Employed Workers Pension Fund (FLPD), including agricultural workers, cooperative members and apprentices;
- employees in the public sector;
- independent workers (merchants, artisans, sharecroppers, farmers and tenant farmers) registered with the relevant special schemes;
- self-employed workers (coordinated and continuous workers, and occasional workers, door-to-door salesmen, professionals without a pension, occasional independent workers) registered with a separate scheme.
The INPS also manages certain special social security schemes and funds for certain categories of workers such as: clergy, civil aviation flight staff, and miners. Other Bodies under private law (Casse) manage your obligatory social security and support if you belong to a certain category of professionals, such as lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, notaries, etc. registered with the specific pension Scheme or Fund. Social security and assistance for journalists is managed by the National Institute for Social Security (INPS) as from July 2022.