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Prepaid: large companies in the sector are analyzing a return scheme that does not go below 6 installments - Infobae
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Prepagas: las empresas grandes del sector analizan un esquema de devolución que no baje de las 6 cuotas
Las compañías más chicas quieren mucho más plazo. El lunes está programada la audiencia con el Gobierno ante el juez que entiende en la cautelar que interpusieron las autoridades. El magistrado pidió a cada prepaga que presente un plan para reintegrar lo cobrado de más a los afiliados
www.infobae.com
May 24, 2024
Smaller companies want a longer term. The hearing with the Government is scheduled for Monday before the judge who is hearing the precautionary measure filed by the authorities. The magistrate asked each company to present a plan to refund what was overcharged to affiliates
By Sebastian Catalano
The judge asked that the companies return the surplus collected with “a credit in favor of each of them” (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Monday is “D-day” for the relationship between the Government and prepaid medicine companies. The parties will face each other on the stand of federal civil and commercial judge Juan Rafael Stinco, who called them to a conciliation hearing, at 10 in the morning, for the case in which the Executive demanded that they go back the increases of the companies to December and that they return the money collected.
Stinco accepted the proposal of the Superintendence of Health Services and issued a precautionary measure by which it ordered that prepaid medicine companies “retrovert the amount of the values to the fees in force as of December 2023 ” and update the values “in accordance with the Consumer Price Index prepared monthly by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses.”
Also that the companies return the surplus collected with “a credit in favor of each of them . ” In that sense, the magistrate gave each company a period of five days to present “an action plan to implement the monetary return.” That initial decision was later extended until next Monday.
What will companies do?
Caution and secrecy reign in the business sector. Nobody wants to “raise their heads” in the midst of a context that became very complicated after the Government gave them freedom, through Javier Milei 's DNU , and after increases of more than 150% in a few months, accused them of of very excessive increases and also of “cartelization”, as the Secretary of Commerce, which depends on the Economy, pointed out at the time.
Judge Juan Rafael Stinco
Minister Luis Caputo precisely accused the sector of having declared war on the middle class. The tension generated the departure of Claudio Belocopitt , owner of Swiss Medical, from the presidency of the Argentine Health Union (UAS), the entity that brings together all companies in the country's private health sector. The UAS today is chaired by Hugo Magonza , president of the Civil Association of Integrated Medical Entities (Acami) and general director of Cemic.
Under the current scheme, and after this month's increases, companies will have to raise their prices from now on according to the inflation of the previous month. Of course, it remains up for discussion how the excess increase, above inflation, that occurred in the first months of this year will be returned. Infobae was able to know that they are working against the clock for these hours on those numbers. “And he's going to work all weekend,” they said from one of the best-known firms on the market.
However, all companies already have their numbers closed. At least the big ones in the sector will go to the judge with proposals for repayment with a floor of 6 installments. They hope to be able to get much more, although they doubt the position the judge could take. Qualified sources in the industry assured that if the youngest pay with those terms “they will directly go bankrupt.” They would aim for at least double the time.
“We have to return money that has already been spent, that was used to pay the providers, the doctors. And we are in the middle of a 'fired' parity with complaints in all the sanatoriums," defined a reference for the prepaid "girls."
The Health Superintendency had proposed a plan of 7 installments for the return of all companies in the sector (Gettyimages)
Although there were very informal conversations between the companies, none of them want to formally recognize it after the accusations of cartelization. A part of the industrial sector, with Belocopitt at the head, seeks a solution that integrates the entire private system, with large and medium-sized companies: they do not see a scheme where “those with the most back are saved, and the others that see as do".
The Health Superintendency proposed a 7-installment plan, for all companies, which should have come into force this month. It was established that the amount collected above the CPI would be returned in seven consecutive installments of 9.68% of the same, starting in June 2024. “This was a suggestion made by the organization with the objective, also, of maintaining the sustainability of the system. At the hearing next Monday and depending on what the prepaid companies propose, the judge will be the one who defines how the mechanism to be implemented will be,” official sources highlighted and indicated that they hope to be able to reach an agreement on Monday with the companies despite some objections. raised by companies before the Court.
There is concern among governors and mayors about the crisis in the private health system. Axel Kicillof (PBA), Martín Llaryora (Córdoba), Jorge Macri (CABA) and Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe) spoke about the rumors of possible closures of hospitals and private clinics in this context of crisis, they assured that containment measures are being prepared to the public system and warned that both PAMI and IOMA are very late in their payments and cost updates.
The same situation occurs in the mayors of the suburbs and the provincial capitals. “We do not tolerate greater demand in the public system. It has already collapsed and the fight later is with us,” they said in the Executive of one of those provinces.
