From analysis to physiotherapy: the Regional Administrative Court (TAR) rejects the rates for public outpatient care.

From blood tests to physiotherapy, radiology services, and even simple medical examinations: the fee schedule for outpatient specialist services provided under the National Health Service (NHS) must be rewritten. The Lazio Region mandates this with an initial series of nine essentially overlapping rulings, which partially uphold the appeals filed by hundreds of private facilities accredited with the NHS. These rulings establish the inadequacy of the fees set by the Ministry of Health last November, after a 20-year wait for the adjustment of the Essential Levels of Care (LEA). The annulment of the Ministerial Decree, the Lazio Regional Administrative Court (TAR), also orders, will only take effect in one year, to avoid technical chaos and thus allow for IT systems to be updated. Therefore, the starting date for the new fees, which must all be rewritten, is postponed to September 22, 2026.

The Health-Mef Decree 272 of November 26, 2024, updating the tariffs had a complicated life from the start: its entry into force on December 30, 2024, was "stopped" the same day by the suspension also imposed by the Lazio Regional Administrative Court following the laboratories' appeal, but then revoked only the following day at the request of the State Attorney's Office. Therefore, the process had already started again on December 31: since then, the tariffs established by that decree, which rewrote a "price list" that had been in place since 1996, have been in force, but with considerable controversy and a consequent flurry of appeals from private individuals.

Ruling no. 16381/25 of the Lazio Regional Administrative Court, among other decisions issued on September 22, 2025, now requires the Ministry of Health's price list to be rewritten, as the associations unanimously requested. Lawyer Antonella Blasi of Forum Team Legal Healthcare explains: "The Regional Administrative Court ruled that the price list is 'poorly drafted' because an adequate investigation was not conducted, as the cost data used as a basis are from 2015. Furthermore, individual services were not taken into consideration, but rather a global assessment was performed."

What's changing? From a practical standpoint, the current rates will be in effect for another year. "But it's clear," continues Blasi, "that the ministry must get to work immediately, referring to current cost data and certainly not the current regional rates, which necessarily cannot be up-to-date." The centers applaud.

Meanwhile, associations are rejoicing, starting with the Private Hospital Association (AIOP): "This is a great victory, not so much for us, but for the National Health Service, which, if it wants to survive, must both ensure adequate rates and adequately support contract renewals," warns President Gabriele Pelissero. He explains: "We cannot provide adequate services to citizens if their cost is not recognized by the system, and it is essential to recognize the work done by adequately remunerating it." Pelissero, however, extends a helping hand to the ministry: "We are available to provide data and analysis, because only if we arrive at adequate rate schedules and appropriate remuneration mechanisms will it be possible to save the NHS, slogans aside." As for the postponement to September 22, 2026, according to Valter Rufini, President of FederAnisap, "it will allow us to evaluate obsolete services, reorganize the financial side, and guarantee citizens fair healthcare with equal rules and rights for all." "We understand the technical requirements, because immediately changing the complex pricing information system is impossible," Pelissero admits. "But a year is too long," he warns. "We will continue to operate with these declared invalid tariffs, but then the 365 days will have to be recalculated in light of the new tariff."