The Government has allocated a 60 million euro fund to lighten the superticket. The objective of the Executive is to formalize the measure in an amendment to the maneuver which will be voted on in the plenary on Wednesday.
The superticket, introduced in 2011 by the Berlusconi government, increased the ticket already envisaged for visits and medical examinations by 10 euros. The Regions could collect it in various ways: many have linked it to income, others add 10 euros to the ordinary ticket. Val d'Aosta, Lazio, Basilicata and the autonomous province of Bolzano have chosen not to apply it.
The Executive seems to have now found the resources to review or make the superticket less expensive. The first idea of the Ministry is to divide the 60 million proportionally among the Regions, which could thus intervene by removing the superticket from at least some categories of people.
A second hypothesis is instead that of giving the funds only to some Regions, to make the exemptions from the superticket more homogeneous, considering the fact that in some realities of the Centre-North young people who have never worked are already exempt from paying.
In the last month the superticket has been at the center of the political debate. Giuliano Pisapia, leader of Mdp, has threatened to withhold Gentiloni's support if the superticket is not abolished.
In fact, the exponents of Art.1-Mdp believe that at least 500 million are needed for the definitive removal, and that the amount allocated by the government is negligible.
“The covers for the abolition are lacking – explained Beatrice Lorenzin, Minister of Health – but our will to cancel the superticket has always been there. In the meantime, let's start reducing it, we'll see how later on".
