As the first European country hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy had to face the crisis while relying on a healthcare system weakened by budget cuts following the Great Recession of 2008–2009, with varying levels of funding between Regions. Tensions between central government, responsible for dealing with health emergencies, and the Regions, which are in charge of organizing care, hampered responses to the pandemic. The rapid adoption of exceptional measures (the Cura Italia and Rilancio bills) nevertheless provided a temporary boost to the financial and human resources of the national healthcare system in anticipation of a second wave, while the traumatic shock of the epidemic served to revive interest in ambitious healthcare reform.