With regard to healthcare expenditures, the most important measures were adopted in Budget Law 2010 (Law 191 of December 23, 2009) which, by incorporating the contents of the "Healthcare Agreement 2010-2012", established the funding structure of the National Health Service for the three-year period 2010-2012 and introduced special stringent measures with regard to regional healthcare deficits.

Subsequently, Legislative Decree 78/2010 of May 31, 2010 regarding "Urgent measures on financial stability and economic competitiveness" (the so-called 'summer maneuver') converted with amendments into Law 122/2010 of July 30, 2010, and Law 220/2010 of December 13, 2010 (Stability Law 2011), modified the resources plan laid down in the "Healthcare Agreement 2010-2012" and introduced significant changes, also in the sphere of pharmaceutical expenditure.

Healthcare expenditures for 2010 were estimated at approximately Euros 110.0 billion, compared to Euro 109.7 billion in 2009.
Given current expenditures, the funding set aside for 2010 was Euros 106.2 billion.
Therefore, the healthcare deficit for 2010 amounts to approximately Euros 3.8 billion.

One of the most important new features introduced in the Healthcare Agreement 2010-2012 and incorporated in Budget Law 2010 is the measure exempting healthcare receivables from being seized for those regions which have signed the debt Repayment Plan.
In February 2010, the approval of the maxi-amendment with a large number of extensions made it possible to break the deadlock on the law regarding the seizure of receivables from the ASLs (Local Health Service Agencies) for those Regions involved in the healthcare deficit Repayment Plans. Instead of the 'year' cited in Budget Law 2010 and the Healthcare Agreement 2010-2012, the 'halt' lasted only two months. In fact, in March 2010, National Health Service suppliers resumed their normal legal procedures.
The new 'halt' to the seizure of receivables came in art. 11 of Legislative Decree 78/2010. According to this decree, enforcement proceedings could not be undertaken or continued against ASLs or AOs (hospital companies) in Regions subjected to the Repayment Plans for the healthcare deficit and already in the hands of an external commissioner
With Law 220/2010, the temporary halt in seizures has been extended until December 31, 2011.

For 2011, the National Healthcare Fund to be shared among the Regions amounts to Euro 106.5 billion.
The amount is to be divided as follows:
the general fund, destined for the funding and distribution of Standard Minimum Healthcare levels, for Euro 103.9 billion;
special allocations with restrictions, for Euro 2.6 billion.
The way the 2011 National Healthcare Fund is being divided is more complicated than in previous years, since it clashes with the approval of federal taxation. Furthermore, 2011 will also be the first benchmark year for the so-called 'standard costs' which will start to be applied in 2013. Therefore, the aim of all the Regions is to 'pocket' as much as possible, and, in any case, no less than they were allocated in the prior year. To this end, the southern Italian regions are pressing for the introduction of new key indicators