07/21/2021 7:57 PM
Clarín.com
Economy
Updated 07/21/2021 8:13 PM
Prepaid medicine companies asked the Government that the State take charge of paying health personnel
a special bonus equivalent to 50% of a nurse's salary
, as part of the compensation that private companies claim
they cannot afford due to underfunding
the that are exposed, they stressed, by decision of the Government itself.
Textually, the companies ask: "Beyond the 2021 joint agreement, to grant an extraordinary monthly bonus,
financed and paid directly from the State, while the health emergency of 50% of the Nurse's salary lasts
. This bonus should reach
all employees in a dependency relationship, doctors with a service lease contract and residents or students of the specialization career
". They also requested that health personnel have a
special and free pass
to use on public transport, or to exempt them from paying
tolls
.
The request is part of an extensive claim made this Wednesday by the
Argentine Health Union
(UAS), an entity that groups together the different chambers of prepaid medicine companies. The UAS also asked "to extend the reduction of SIPA and REPRO, while the economic and sanitary emergency lasts." The request refers to a 100% reduction in current employer contributions destined for SIPA that the Government extended for the time being between the periods from May to December.
With the title "Proposals for the sustainability of the health system in the midst of the crisis", the UAS describes the picture of "underfunding" of the companies in the sector and makes a series of claims, based on the Government authorizing one " polynomial formula "that allows the
automatic updating of the fees charged to members
, as established by
Law 26,682
.
A week ago, a ruling by the judge in the administrative litigation Pablo Cayssials.
enabled prepaid companies to have an increase in fees.
The magistrate annulled two administrative resolutions of the
Ministry of Health
that
had reversed a previous increase of 7% and another of 10%
.
In this context, the businessmen have now released a proposal in which they seek to deepen the negotiations and, more urgently, to have the necessary funds to face the parity with the Health union.
The following is the verbatim transcription of the UAS document, drawn up with recitals and conclusions, in the style of the decrees:
"Given the critical situation in which the Entities of the Private Health System find themselves and the damage that it causes to the personnel who perform an essential task, with a serious impact on patient care."
"Taking into account that the health system
has lost solvency and sustainability
among other reasons due to the incorporation, by the State, of coverage or rights without providing the funds to face these higher costs and the State itself
has failed to comply with the granting of the updates that Law 26682 itself establishes
by virtue of these higher costs and inflation ".
"That these expenses have unbalanced the system and affected the coverage provided to the beneficiaries of public and private social security."
"That
the principle of solidarity has been inverted,
transferring
obligations from the State to individuals
without providing financing and affecting the rights of the participants in each system."
"That
the principle of equity and foresight of the model has been broken
, forcing the reception of people with preexistence and
without ever having contributed to the system
."
"That the obligation to cover non-medical needs of disabled people has been established."
"That the State has established taxes on all concepts of health spending, increasing the cost that people must make, such as: VAT, gross income, tax on bank debits, among others."
"That the Entities the entities have faced an excessive growth of costs to face Covid 19, as a result of the unjustified increase in the price of inputs and the greater use of them."
"That they have had to reconvert service areas, modify processes, increase biosafety standards and invest in equipment to expand their capacity to provide services, including critical areas."
"That these higher costs and insufficient income increases, has as a consequence,
underfunding
that impacts the price of benefits and consequently produces a brutal indebtedness and the impossibility of adequately repaying the work of the health team, which brave and valuable, she has taken the lead in this pandemic with ruinous and unsuspected consequences. "
"That it is imperative to implement temporary measures that contribute to
improving the remuneration of health personnel
, permanently, and especially during the period of the pandemic."
"The Entities that make up the UAS Propose, temporarily":
1. "Extend the reduction of SIPA and REPRO, while the economic and health emergency lasts."
2. "Beyond the 2021 joint agreement, grant an extraordinary monthly bonus, financed and paid directly from the State, while the health emergency of 50% of the Nurse's salary lasts. This bonus must reach all employees in Dependency relationship, doctors with a service lease contract and residents or students of the specialization career ".
3. "Assign a" Pass "that identifies health personnel as essential, with it you
will have priority to use public transportation for free.
In the event that you use a private means of transportation," the pass "will it will grant
priority and gratuity on the highways
as well as
free parking
".
Permanently:
1. "Exempt the Health System from the tax burden, product of Gross Income, Credits and bank debits, etc."
2. "To empower the Entities to use the VAT tax credit not used to be applied to the payment of; contributions, contributions or any type of tribute that the activity is achieved".
3. "Create an item of
State funds
from the National Treasury to finance: • Coverage established by laws of recent years that do not have or have not had funding provided for in their regulatory framework."
• High-cost drug, prosthetic and orthotic treatments.
• Coverage for pre-existing diseases.
• Social expenses arising from disability care (education, transfers, nursing homes, etc.) ".
4. "Provide
a polynomial formula that includes monthly and automatic adjustments of the fees of the Prepaid Medicine Companies
, by virtue of the variation in costs (as established by law, with revision and application of the calculation from the beginning)".
5. "Establish a regulatory framework for the adjustment of fees and subsequent effective transfer to providers by the National and Provincial Social Works, those created by special laws and autarkic entities."
6. "Establish a commission to guarantee the sustainability and equitable access to the health system. This commission will assume, within a period of no more than 6 (six) months, the task of generating proposals that contain the vision of the sectors involved. in the provision of medical service in Argentina. The possible parties to convene would be enunciative and not restrictive: UAS, FEDERATION OF PROVIDERS, PAMI, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, SSSALUD, COFESA, COSPRA, CGT, FATSA, COMRA, MINISTRY OF WORK ".