Healthcare and Covid compensation are a clash. Private clinics are fighting back: a formal notice has been sent to the Region.

A formal notice from AIOP , the Italian Association of Private Hospitals, which groups accredited healthcare facilities, was sent to the Region yesterday morning. The formal notice concerns the intention, announced and reiterated by President Michele de Pascale, to revoke the council resolution dated November 11, 2024, regarding financial compensation paid by affiliated clinics during the pandemic .

The Region, then led by Stefano Bonaccini, during the height of the Covid emergency (spring 2020), asked private facilities to remain fully operational to address a situation whose evolution was still completely unknown. Therefore, clinic healthcare workers were not placed on furlough, as they needed to be available at all times, and over 5,000 beds were made available to the public healthcare system, through an agreement between AIOP and Viale Aldo Moro.

For this commitment, accredited facilities in Emilia-Romagna received approximately €80 million. The Region now demands this back, given the express desire to revoke the resolution, which was reiterated during last Thursday's meeting attended by President de Pascale, Health Councilor Massimo Fabi, Regional Director General of Health Lorenzo Broccoli, and Regional President of AIOP Cesare Salvi, along with the two vice presidents, Averardo Orta and Valentina Valentini.

Given the Region's currently irrevocable situation, AIOP has sent a formal formal notice to President De Pascale and, for the relevant jurisdiction, Councilor Fabi and Director Broccoli.

The document calls on the Region to desist from revoking the resolution or, at least, to reevaluate the situation, not only in compliance with regulatory constraints, but also in light of the decades-long relationship of collaboration between accredited private facilities and the Emilia-Romagna public healthcare system. Naturally, the Region is also warned against implementing conditions for requesting the refund of the advance payments (€80 million) received in the first year of the pandemic, i.e., 2020, given that costs and investments have already been incurred.

In this regard, it is explicitly stated that the Association reserves the right to protect the rights of its members (over 50 organizations) in all appropriate venues, including, of course, administrative and ordinary courts.