There could soon be a revolution in the right to state healthcare for Italian residents abroad, including in Africa and Kenya.
A bill promoted by the governing party Fratelli d'Italia, already filed with the Health and Social Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, could grant the right to annual, and no longer temporary, coverage by the National Health Service, by paying a mandatory contribution of €1,500 per year.

As is well known, up to now, when an Italian citizen registers with the Register of Compatriots Resident Abroad (AIRE), he loses the right to healthcare in his country of origin, but can be treated, with temporary registration with the SSN, for only 90 days.
The bill tabled in parliament would give Italians resident abroad (remember that from 1 January 2024 it is compulsory for them to register with AIRE, under penalty of a fine of €1,000 a year) the possibility of retaining the right to healthcare exactly as if they were still living in Italy, with the difference that they would be asked to pay an annual contribution, calculated on the basis of data provided by ISTAT regarding half the average annual cost of treating an Italian patient, which is around €3,000.

This proposal, if adopted, would certainly entail a lower cost than that required of foreigners in Italy for periods of more than three months, which, according to the latest budget law passed by the Meloni government, has increased from 387 to 2 thousand euros per year.
The initiative, promoted by the Honourable Antonio Di Giuseppe of FdI, has been viewed with great interest by the government, as it could encourage Italian citizens abroad to register with the Agenzia delle Entrate in order to obtain a health card and access treatment without additional tax burdens.

It is estimated that if all 6 million Italians living abroad adhered to the proposal, the state would collect almost €9 billion a year, a significant source of revenue for the government.
Di Giuseppe's idea is part of the government's efforts to have all Italian citizens living abroad registered with AIRE. Many of them have in fact never done so for fear of losing their right to healthcare in Italy.