Do pensioners pay the healthcare copay?

Among the various benefits that pensioners can benefit from are exemptions from healthcare copays.
This is especially true above a certain age and below an annual income threshold.
Pensions, especially those less than 1,000 euros per month, cannot keep up with the costs of living and this is precisely why you can take advantage of various reductions or partial and total exemptions for public services.
Among the various services there are those of transport, museums or cinemas, but also health tickets to which the State often adds benefits such as bonuses and discounts.
However, healthcare copayments may vary depending on the Region or in the presence of specific disabilities or pathologies.
In fact, in some cases the exemption, which starts automatically for those over 65 years of age and a family income not exceeding EUR 36,151.98 per year, further relief or exemptions are available for specific visits and tests.
read also Thirteenth highest pension in 2023: who is entitled to it, amounts and payment date Do pensioners pay the healthcare copay? The right to exemption is provided with some personal and social conditions.
Pensioners who do not have specific characteristics pay the health copay, as well as other copays.
Depending on the Region there may be increases in the income range or a partial or complete exemption for transport, cultural and health services.
As regards the national health service, exemption from the copay respects an exemption for income or personal, social and health conditions.
The income exemption allows you to undergo laboratory and specialist diagnostic visits for your health condition.
Please note: the income exemption does not apply to pharmaceutical assistance, for which you must contact your local health authority of residence.
read also Minimum pensions, the new amounts for 2023 and 2024 and the upcoming increases What exemption do pensioners have? Pensioners can pay the ticket.
In fact, this is not automatically reduced or exempted, but some requirements must be met.
The income-based ticket exemption, for example, also includes subjects under 6 or over 65 as a category, but with a total family income of less than 36,165.98 euros.
The categories that are entitled to the exemption are: citizens over the age of 65, as long as they belong to a family unit with a total income not exceeding €36,151.98 per year (code E01) (not necessarily pensioners but you can sneak them in); holders of a social pension or recipients of a social allowance and dependent family members (code E03) (social allowance is a measure that is payable to those over 67 and with a low income, some still call it a social pension (although they are two different measures) Social allowance 2023 amount: 507.03 euros, payable in full to those with zero income, partially to those who do not exceed 6,591.39 euros; holders of a minimum pension: over 60 years of age and dependent family members, belonging to a family unit with a total income of less than €8,263.31 increased to €11,362.05 in the case of a dependent spouse, plus a further €516.46 for each dependent child (code E04); and those who have a minimum pension with an amount in 2023 of 567.94 euros, 7,383.22 euros per year.
Read also Disability pensions, the December increase is official.
The INPS circular with the new amounts.
When do you pay or not pay the ticket after the age of 65? In some in cases the payment of the ticket is expected, such as for example for specialist visits and instrumental laboratory diagnostic tests, services performed in the emergency room which are not of an emergency nature, not followed by hospitalization, and spa treatments.
The services where the payment of the ticket is not foreseen are the remaining ones: diagnostic tests for early diagnosis or collective prevention, for example mammography for breast cancer, Pap test for cervical cancer, research of occult blood in the stool for colorectal cancer; tests for the protection of collective health or required by law, for example people suffering from contagious infectious diseases; the services of the general practitioner and pediatrician of free choice; treatments provided during a hospital stay, including rehabilitation and long-term care; foods, streets, particular categories; prostheses and other technological aids for people with disabilities.
The co-payment is also not foreseen for services provided in particular situations such as the protection of maternity, the spread of HIV infection, the donation of blood, organs and tissues, protection of subjects damaged by irreversible complications due to compulsory vaccines or vaccines included in the national vaccination prevention plan for people identified as recipients.
In this specific case, for example, there are many elderly people, including pensioners over 65, who fall into the category of "fragile people" for whom there are multiple booster vaccinations.