If prices remain the same, Plansaúde will cost R$ 699 million in 2020.
The president of Sisepe-TO, Cleiton Pinheiro, along with the union's vice-director general, Rorilândio Nunes dos Santos, participated in another round of meetings of the Plansaúde restructuring commission; according to Plansaúde management, if current prices are maintained, the plan's expenses, which totaled R$ 262 million in 2016, could reach R$ 699 million in 2020; the meeting took place at the State Secretariat of Administration and was led by the secretary of the department, Geferson Barros; "We urgently need to work on balancing the cost-revenue of Plansaúde," he said.
Tocantins 247 - The president of the Union of Public Servants in the State of Tocantins (SISEPE-TO), Cleiton Pinheiro, together with the vice-general director of SISEPE-TO, Rorilândio Nunes dos Santos, participated this Wednesday (15), in another round of meetings of the Plansaúde restructuring commission. The meeting took place at the State Secretariat of Administration and was conducted by the secretary of the department Geferson Barros.
At the meeting, which also included other union leaders and representatives of Plansaúde users, the SECAD team presented a projection of the plan's expense evolution over three years. According to the Plansaúde manager, if current prices are maintained, the plan's expenses, which totaled R$ 262 million in 2016, could reach R$ 699 million in 2020.
According to the Secretary of Administration, Jeferson Barros, "the priority at the moment is to reduce costs." He added, "We urgently need to work on balancing the cost and revenue of Plansáude."
Currently, SECAD (the Secretariat for Continuing Education, Health and Human Rights) is working with the price schedule established by Ordinance No. 932 for the purchase of orthoses, prostheses, and special materials (OPMEs), since Ordinance No. 855 of November 2016 was suspended by a court agreement until SECAD redoes the price studies and presents a new proposal for its own price list for the acquisition of OPMEs. An actuarial company was hired by the administration and is conducting a price study based on the values practiced by health plans similar to Plansaúde in other states.
The meeting also included proposals developed by the unions, among them a table proposing a review of deadlines for the release of medical procedures, prepared by SISEPE-TO. Ordinance No. 855, which SECAD intends to work with, stipulates, for example, a deadline of up to 40 days for the release of elective inpatient care with medical devices. SISEPE-TO proposes reducing this to a maximum of 15 days.
“We need to think very empathetically about the public servant and their dependents who are plan users, especially those who live far from Plansaúde service centers. It is not possible to wait up to 40 days if the user needs to undergo an urgent medical procedure,” Cleiton Pinheiro pointed out.
Jeferson Barros said that the deadlines for supplying OPMEs (Orthopedic Prostheses and Medical Equipment) will be discussed later with the companies and professionals providing the service.
A new meeting of the Plansaúde restructuring committee has been scheduled for February 23rd, following the completion of the work by the company responsible for the price survey. At that meeting, the company will present a report detailing the technical aspects of prices practiced in other states, which will be used to develop the new pricing table.
*With information from Sisepe