Prepaid bills have become more expensive without anesthesia since the Government removed controls: about
40%
in
January
, another
25%
in
February
,
23%
in
March
and they are already warning
of another increase of up to
19% for
April
.
As a result of these
always cumulative
jumps , for many affiliates the fee suddenly became
impossible to pay
.
And they set out to find out how they could
pay less
so as not to "fall out" of the system.
"With the latest increases, we began to
receive queries like never before
from people who desperately notice that
they can no longer continue paying
, and are looking for alternatives," Fabien Barralón, creator of ElegíMejor, a free website that compares plans, cards and benefits,
explained to
Clarín
. multiple prepaid.
Patients, according to this specialist, have
different ways
available to
reduce their
monthly
payment immediately.
In some cases, within your
own company
(the most comfortable);
In other cases, making a
transfer
.
The key question is, in any case,
in exchange for what
the savings will be achieved: what coverage, services, securities and benefits
will have to be renewed
.
Those who are currently on "VIP" plans will surely be able to go to one with fewer providers and luxuries.
But those who are already in a common scheme only have to make a
more drastic
decision .
Below are
three possible routes
to trimming and what you should know about each one.
Adjusting health expenses, always a delicate decision.
Photo: Shutterstock.
Option 1: on the same prepaid plan, go to a plan with fewer services
When a member states that he can no longer afford the cost of the dues, the first thing his company offers him is to move to a
less complete scheme
, which lowers the monthly bill but still allows him to receive care - at least in theory -
without paying co-payments.
for each consultation, practice or study.
"A single prepaid plan usually offers up to
five different plans
with prices that
vary greatly from one to the other
. The difference generally depends on the
breadth of the card
, the inclusion or not of certain benefits and the number of service offices, among other issues. "Barralón commented.
Thus, when moving to a more economical scheme, the coverage of the Mandatory Medical Program (the most basic) continues to be guaranteed, but in general through a
more limited card
, without the highest category sanatoriums or coverage for non-essential practices (for example, cosmetic surgeries ).
Reimbursement
for services with providers outside the card
is also usually much lower.
And they may add
co-pays
for
home medical visits
.
In the best-known prepaid plans, for example, the top plans today can exceed
$300,000
or even
$500,000
per month for a 35-year-old (privately).
But for smaller plans the same firms are charging less than
$170,000
or
$130,000
.
This is how the ElegíMejor website compares prepaid plans.
Image: Capture.
Option 2: switch to a cheaper prepaid
If the lowest plan of a leading prepaid plan also became impossible to maintain, it is key to know that there are companies with
much cheaper values
.
"
They do not have the reputation
of the best-known ones, but many provide a very good service," they say in ElegíMejor.
This platform, in fact, shows that there are basic plans
on the market
with prices
40%
,
50%
or
even 70% lower
than what the lowest plan from a top company costs.
For a 35-year-old, for example, options appear
from $38,000 or $45,000
per month (against more than $100,000 or $130,000).
Of course, in general, the primers will be much more limited and the standards of care, less demanding.
While the crisis lasts, it can be endured with a "low cost" plan.
Photo: Shutterstock.
Option 3: go down to a "low cost" plan with co-payments
There are plans that
cover the entire PMO
and that offer to reduce the monthly fixed expense
without necessarily reducing the cost
or sacrificing quality in the benefits.
What they do is charge co-payments (or more co-payments) to encourage patients not to use the benefits more than is strictly necessary.
Copayments are
fees
that the member must pay
each time
he or she makes a medical consultation or undergoes a study, treatment or outpatient practice.
They do not apply
in
hospitalizations .
Sometimes not when receiving care in certain of our own centers or when using telemedicine
,
but in everything else.
And discounts on medicines
are maintained
.
The biggest advantage is that this allows you to pay monthly payments that are
15%, 25%
or
even 40% lower
than those of a plan without copays.
The big disadvantage is that health spending becomes
less predictable
: it varies each month depending on
how much and how
the service is used.
In this way, what is paid may be
less than before
if everyone in the family remains healthy.
But
it may also be more
in those months when it is necessary to go to the doctor a lot.
Young and healthy
members
, increasingly, are tempted by this type of proposals.
MDG