Ismael Bermúdez
02/27/2021 4:54 PM
Clarín.com
Economy
Updated 02/27/2021 4:54 PM
It seems like
a "classic" at the end of the month
.
President Alberto Fernández stopped a Resolution that promoted the Superintendency of Health Services that authorized
another increase of 3.5% from April 1
in the fees for prepaid medicine.
"This is not the time," they would have said at the Casa Rosada.
For this increase to take effect, the Resolution must be published in the Official Gazette
no later than Monday
so that prepaid medicine companies can inform their affiliates of the increase in fees
30 days in advance
, as established by the rules.
But the
Chief of Staff did not have it published
, according to sources in the sector.
The previous increase, also of 3.5%, was published on Saturday, January 30 in the Official Gazette - Resolution N ° 531/21 - and the affiliates notified 30 days in advance, it will govern the March quotas.
At the same time, prepayments must also increase by 3.5% the amounts they pay to doctors, professionals and clinics for the medical-assistance benefits they provide to their members and families.
In December there was an increase of 10% and that's where the twists and turns began
.
Originally by Resolution of the Ministry of Health, this increase should have been 15% and another 10% as of February.
But then the President ordered the annulment of that Resolution and only 10% was authorized since December.
This short-circuit was repeated the following month
because Health reauthorized from February an increase from 7% cumulative to 10% in December and again by presidential decision it was canceled by the impact of the quota increases on members and their impact on the index inflation.
Now for the third time, an increase that was promoted by Health ended up being stopped in the presidential office.
Prepaid payments are in the air because they
argue that medical costs rose even more than average inflation.
And in addition, they assure that it had been agreed with the Government that they would authorize successive increases in quotas at the same rate as the labor income agreed in the parities in line with the inflation expected by the Government, without recovering - they say - the 2020 lags.
To this is added that the
salary parity of clinics, sanatoriums, geriatrics and emergencies should begin this week
to review the lags of last year (between 14 and 16 points) and begin to agree on salary increases for the next 12 months, from the 1st from July 2021 to June 30, 2022.
Meanwhile, the Government argues that, in addition to the 3.5% increase in quotas that has been in force since March 1,
in February the amount paid by the State per worker of the Repro II program increased from $ 9,000 to $ 18,000.
to health providers such as clinics, sanatoriums, laboratories and diagnostic centers, on account of the payment of wages paid by employers.
This reinforcement of Repro II was complemented with the exemption granted to the Health sector until March 31 from the payment of employer contributions to Social Security.
This exemption from payment is more comprehensive because it includes clinics and sanatoriums and also social and prepaid works, plus the extension, also for 90 days, of the reduction of tax rates on bank credits and debits.
They also argue the fiscal cost for the State due to the possibility that affiliates of prepaid companies have to deduct from income tax up to 5% of the net income each year.
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