MIM clarifies funds for school health policy: 320 million for the four-year period

The Ministry of Education and Merit has provided the official details on the funding for the new, free supplementary health insurance for school staff and ministry employees. The overall allocation for the four-year period 2026-2029 has been set at 320 million euros, resources which the MIM clarifies are not being taken from the Fund for the Ordinary Operation of Schools.

The measure concerns an audience of over one million workers, including teachers, administrative, technical, and auxiliary staff, educators, and school principals. Enrollment, which is not automatic, must be completed voluntarily by September 20, 2026, through the Ministry's portal, using digital identities such as SPID or CIE.

The process for establishing this free supplemental health insurance policy for school staff began with a decree-law in March 2025, which allocated the first 65 million annually. The goal was to provide a significant welfare tool to a large number of workers in the sector, who often lack adequate supplemental health coverage.

The project then expanded through subsequent measures, culminating in the 2026 law that also included school principals and Ministry employees. The debate over the source of the funds, raised by the unions, led the MIM (Ministry of Education and Merit) to specify that the resources come from new allocations and internal budget savings, without affecting schools' ordinary funds. The service is operational through a co-insurance arrangement between Unisalute, Poste Assicura, and Intesa San Paolo Protezione.