Funding Access for CAR T Patients Across Regions in Italy

In Italy, access to CAR T-cell therapy is concentrated in a few regions, creating disparities for patients in underserved areas. Challenges driving this include an uneven distribution of authorized treatment centers, shortages of specialist staff and fragmented referral pathways and reimbursement models.¹³⁷

In 2022, The European House – Ambrosetti, Società Italiana di Leadership e Management in Medicina (SIMM), and Gruppo Italiano per il Trapianto di Midollo Osseo (GITMO) launched the CAR-T Revolution initiative to assess the national access landscape and propose actions for more equitable and sustainable delivery of CAR T-cell therapies.¹³⁷

Through expert consultation and policy analysis, the group identified key challenges and put forward recommendations to ensure sustainable future access, including:¹³⁷

Expanding and strengthening hub-and-spoke models to decentralize care delivery
Establishing more efficient referral systems to streamline patient access
Leveraging digital tools to support coordination among healthcare providers
Introducing dedicated diagnosis related groups (DRGs) to standardize funding and reimbursement processes

The recommendations from this policy paper have been used to engage with policymakers and governments to advocate for increased CAR T-cell capacity and equity across regions in Italy.

Italy: Addressing regional disparities in access to CAR T-cell therapy