Officials say health system will need future reorganization

Italy's health system is secure, but in future will need to be reorganized, officials said Tuesday as they tried to soften earlier comments by Premier Mario Monti. "The guarantees of the sustainability of the national health service are not less," said an official statement from Palazzo Chigi late Tuesday afternoon. It was trying to clarify earlier comments made by Monti in Palermo where the premier warned that the sustainability of Italy's national health system is at risk unless new ways are found to pay for it. "The economic crisis has hit everyone and the medical field is no exception," Monti had said in a videoconference link to the ceremony for the opening of a centre for biotechnology and biomedical research in Palermo. "The future sustainability of national health systems, including ours which we are proud of, may not be guaranteed unless new ways are found to finance the services," Monti had added. "The stakes are very high". Officials said the premier was merely suggesting that in future, it will be necessary "to identify and implement models for innovative financing and organization of...health services," said the statement from Palazzo Chigi. Monti "has not put in question public funding of the health system," officials said.