On March 1, the monthly rate of increase in private medicine fees increased by 5.04% or 7.66%, based on income net of owners and co-owners of prepaid pharmaceutical companies. but in April the increase will be 2.36%, equally for all.
This will be so because the Healthcare cost index it is lower than the change in formal wages (RIPTE, the indicator used to fix the increase in the quota for those who earn less, according to the Superintendence of Health Services).
743/2022 which set the differentiated increases (such as they debuted in February and will be applied for the second time in March) establishes that 90% of RIPTE acts as a cap for those who receive less than 6 Minimum Living and Mobile Wages in relation to the Health Cost Index. The same Cost Index increase is applied to those earning more than 6 SMVM.
Therefore, this limit has been applied in February and now in March because the healthcare cost index was 8.21% and 7.66% respectively, and 4.91% and 5.04% have been applied to those who earn less.
In April, that cap doesn’t apply because the Health Cost Index is 2.36% and the RIPTE is 5.41%.
To make these calculations, the immediately preceding published month is taken. For example, for the April increase (which is done at the end of February), we take the December RIPTE, which is the last one published.
Prepaid subscribers will start receiving notification of the increase from today because they have to do it with 30 days in advance.
By applying the 2.36% increase without distinction to all affiliates, it is discounted that there will be no need for prepaid card holders to enter the Superintendency of Health page to declare whether they have a net income lower or higher than 6 SMVM.
Anyway, The Superintendency should clarify this point.
The Health Cost Index combines the evolution of the costs of medicines (12.2%) according to a list drawn up by the Ministry of Health, medical supplies (17.2%), salaries fixed by parities (52.4%) and general expenses (18.2%) , which are prepared by SSSalud.
This dividing line when setting the dimension increases –which went from bimonthly to monthly– was established in early November with decree 743/2022, after criticism by Cristina Kirchner of the 13.8% increase resulting from the Cost Index for the month of December.
Then, on the one hand, that 13.8% was doubled, to 6.9% in December and another 6.9% in January, and the new criteria for increasing quotas were set. “for a period of 18 months”.
For their part, the prepaid health institutions and social works must increase the values of the health care services provided to the beneficiaries of the prepaid and social works by the clinics, sanatoriums and professionals in at least 90% of the percentage increase in your income based on the fees received.
Meanwhile, according to INDEC records, due to increased informality and rising costs of health plans the population with coverage has decreased of social assistance or private medicine.
With the increase in March and April it could be around an average family plan for a married couple with 2 minor children $85,000 and $110,000 monthly.
It is estimated that the sector (the sum of prepaid plus Obras Sociales del Personnel Management) has with 6 million beneficiaries (owner and family nucleus) of which 20% are volunteers or “pure direct workers”) and the rest corresponds to workers who make their contributions to a social work which has an agreement with the prepaid.
Source: Clarin
