On March 1, the monthly rate of increase in private medicine fees rises 5.04% or 7.66%,
according to the
net income of the owners and co-owners of prepaid medicine companies.
But in April
the increase will be 2.36%, for all equally.
This will be so because the
Health Cost Index
is lower than the variation in formal wages (RIPTE, the indicator used to set the increase in the quota for those who earn less, according to the Superintendence of Health Services.
Decree 743/2022 that set the differentiated increases (which
debuted in February
and will be applied for the second time in March) establishes that 90% of the RIPTE acts
as a ceiling
for those who receive less than 6 Minimum Vital and Mobile Wages in relation to the Index of Health Costs.
The same increase in the Cost Index is applied to those who earn more than 6 SMVMs.
Thus, this cap was applied in February and now in March because the Health Cost Index was 8.21% and 7.66%, respectively, and 4.91% and 5.04% were applied to those who earn the least. .
In April, this cap is not applied because
the Health Cost Index is 2.36% and the RIPTE is 5.41%.
To carry out these calculations, the immediately previous published month is taken.
For example, for the April increase (which is done at the end of February), the December RIPTE is taken, which is the last one published.
Prepaid affiliates will begin to receive notification of the increase from today because they must do so
30 days in advance.
By applying the 2.36% increase to all affiliates equally, it is discounted that there will be no need for prepaid card holders to enter the Superintendence of Health page to declare if they have net income of less than or greater than 6 SMVM.
In any case,
the Superintendency is expected to clarify this point.
The Health Cost Index combines the evolution of the costs of medicines (12.2%) according to a list prepared by the Ministry of Health, medical supplies (17.2%), salaries set by the parities ( 52.4%) and general expenses (18.2%), which are prepared by the SSSalud.
This dividing line when setting quota increases –
which went from bimonthly to monthly
– was established at the beginning of November by decree 743/2022, after Cristina Kirchner's criticism of the 13.8% increase that arose 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 "
for a period of 18 months" was established.
For their part, the prepaid medical entities and the obras sociales must increase the values of the medical assistance benefits provided to the beneficiaries of the prepaid and obras sociales by the clinics, sanatoriums and professionals by at least 90% of the percentage increase
in their income
according to the fees received.
Meanwhile, according to INDEC records, due to the greater informality and increase in the costs of health plans,
the population that has the coverage
of a social work or private medicine decreased.
With the increase in March and April, an average family plan for a married couple with 2 minor children could be around
$85,000 and $110,000 per month.
It is estimated that the sector (the sum of prepaid plus Obras Sociales del Personnel Management) has
6 million beneficiaries
(owner and family group) of which 20% are volunteers or "direct pure") and the rest correspond to workers who derive their contributions to a social work that has an agreement with the prepaid.
NE
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