Travel insurance for Milan and Italy is worth arranging before you travel, and for European visitors the key is understanding how a health card and a travel policy work together. Italy is in the European Union with a strong public health system, so an EHIC or GHIC is genuinely useful, but it does not cover everything, which is why a travel policy is still recommended for a trip to Milan.
What the EHIC and GHIC cover
Italy is part of the EU, so an EHIC or a UK GHIC gives you access to the Italian state health service on the same basis as an Italian resident, at little or no cost for medically necessary care. For a routine problem in a public facility, that is real cover. The limits are the familiar ones: the card does not cover treatment in a private hospital without a special public agreement, non-covered treatments, or the cost of bringing you home in an emergency.
Why insurance still matters
In cities like Milan, tourists often end up using private clinics and hospitals, for shorter waits or English-speaking staff, and those are not covered by the health card and can be expensive. More importantly, if you needed repatriation home with medical support, the card would not touch that cost. Travel insurance fills those gaps, and it also covers stolen belongings and trip cancellation. For visitors from outside Europe, the card does not apply at all, so insurance is the primary protection.
Choosing a policy
Carry both if you have them: the EHIC or GHIC for state care, and a travel policy for repatriation, private treatment, and everything else. If you plan skiing in the nearby Alps, confirm winter sports and mountain rescue are covered, since standard policies often exclude them. Subscription-style cover such as SafetyWing suits long or multi-country trips, while a fixed per-trip policy is usually better value for a single visit. Buy the cover before you leave home, because most insurers will not sell or honour a policy once your trip has already started.