Prepaid: commissions increase by 11.53% in October.

Private medicine fees rise 11.53% in October, according to the Superintendence of Health Services. This represents the eighth quota increase so far this year.

This year’s increases started in January, with 9%; and continued with 6% in March, another 6% in April, 8% in May, 10% in June, 4% in July, 11.34% in August and 11.53 % in October. That represents an 87.9% increase in 10 months. And this year the December increase still remains.

Prepaid affiliates will start receiving in the next few days the notice of increase.

This increase is based on a Health Cost Index which combines the evolution of drug costs (12.2%) according to a list drawn up by the Ministry of Health, medical supplies (17.2%), salaries set by peers (52.4 %) and overheads (18.2%), which are prepared by the Superintendence of Health Services. And it applies every two months.

The Ministry of Health ordered it “To have a reference for the authorization of increases starting from August 2022it was considered appropriate to construct an index that adequately reflects the changes in the cost structure and that determines the maximum increase limits that can be applied periodically by the entities in the sector “.

“This Index must be calculated bimonthly, on the last day of the months of January, March, May, July, September and November ”, according to the Resolution 1293/2022 of the Ministry of Health, published on 30 June.

However, the Resolution envisaged for this second semester, “the Healthcare Cost Index will be calculated on the last day of the months of June, August and October 2022” and Members must be notified 30 days in advance.

The prepaid entities are satisfied that the adjustments of the quotas respond to indices linked to the costs of the sector since, among other things, it avoids that any increase and the appropriateness of its application have to be discussed with the health officials.

Due to this increase in fees, and although there is no data on the industry, many members have had to upgrade to cheaper plans and many have had to do it too throw out due to the impossibility of paying such surcharges.

Now, with these increases, there will be a new leap in the values ​​of industry affiliate health plans. Second prepaid with this increase an average family plan of a married couple with 2 children minors may wander between $ 50,000 and $ 70,000 per month.

It is estimated that the sector (prepaid sum plus Management Personnel Social Work) has 6 million beneficiaries (owner and family group) of which 20% are voluntary or “direct pure”) and the rest corresponds to workers who make their own contributions to a social work affiliated with the prepaid.

For their part, prepaid persons must pay clinics, sanatoriums, community hospitals, laboratories and diagnostic centers at least 90% of the quota increase to their members, which represents an increase of 10.4%. In this way, even automatically and with reference to the same Healthcare Cost Index, the rates and fees of professionals are adjusted.

Prepaid affiliates can deduct the share they pay up to 5% of their annual net income from the income tax base.

YN