Truth be told, the past six months of navigating this move to
Italy has been a real slough. November brought more than a month of daily
rainfalls and dreariness. We kicked off the winter holidays landing in Paris on
the first workday of the transit strikes. Once the holidays past, we spend a
solid two months navigating the processes to convert our visa to a longer term
status, establish our residency, and start the task of rebuilding every detail
of our lives; right down to taking the extra precaution of registering as
unioni civilie as Italian law is silent in reference to same sex marriage.
We've got all sorts of new cards for our wallets and certified
papers, and such, to document how we've been playing the game of life and
navigating public and corporate bureaucracies.
But, as part of all of this we needed to attend a civics and
culture orientation class. It was five hours of sitting in a high school
language lab under headphones and listening to hour-long videos about Italian
civic life, legal status, work and home life, education, and how to live with
your neighbors (particularly in apartment buildings). One of the things that
impressed me what the emphasis given on Italy's constitutional commitment to
health care as a basic human right. This was impressed upon us enough that we
had the sense this was more than official civics speak; this was real.
Well, it IS real. A little over a week ago a cornerstone upon
which to build our new life in Italy was nudged into place. We met with the
infectious disease specialist who will be our new HIV care provider. A
requirement of all Italian residents, not citizens - residents, is that your
register for the national health system. The big question we could not answer
before making the move was how would we manage our health care? Well, the
answer is as residents, we are now full beneficiaries of Italy's commitment to
health care as a human right. As part of Italy's national plan to stop HIV, we
are exempted from all costs associated with our health care . . . no annual
tax, co-pays, etc. We are so grateful and in awe of this country's commitment
to health care for all.
So, it is no surprise that the health of all Italians, and of
the world, was the first and primary concern of the Italian government in
responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are not at all surprised to see the
independently-minded Italians come together so quickly to share responsibility
and act to protect their public health. Italians are rightfully proud of their
constitutional commitment to health care as a human right, they are proud of
their national health care system and its high standards and results, and they
trust . . . deeply trust, this public institution.
Bill and I feel welcome, safe, and cared for in our new home.
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