The Senate approved this Thursday the budget item of the Ministry of Healtha process that was marked by a intense debate regarding the situation of the isapreswho face two complex rulings issued by the Supreme Court: the one on the table of risk factors and the one on GES premiums.
The resources for this portfolio will grow by one trillion pesos in 2024 -8% more than what was delivered in 2023-, and the parliamentarians celebrated that transversal agreements were reached on waiting lists, mental health and primary care.
One of the issues that put the Government in trouble in this area was the dismissal of 6,000 officials who joined the hospital network during the pandemicwhich was resolved through three paths.
Firstly, 2,500 direct positions will be available to absorb these personnel, and in addition, these workers will have priority – not exclusivity – to fill more than 4,000 other positions for expansion projects, and any vacancies generated by the retirement incentive.
RECRIMINATIONS BY THE ISAPRES
During his speech, the senator Javier Macaya (UDI) asserted that «in what happens regarding isapres there is responsibility of the previous governmentsthere is a very relevant responsibility particularly of the Supreme Court, and this Parliament itself«.
«I think that the crisis that health will experience in the event of the collapse of the Isapres system has not been dimensioned. (The members) are going to pay with their health and, in more dramatic cases, with their lives«added the union helmsman.
What Macaya argued irritated his PS counterpart Jose Miguel Insulzawho stressed that «what the Supreme Court of Justice did was simply tell them that they had to return ill-gotten money; «They distributed extra profits and bankrupted the Isapres.»
«Now we have to rescue them,» he lashed out, «so that the people who made the mistake of joining isapres have some health, but please, Let’s not fail to recognize what a scam this was., which is similar to that of ’83 (in the case of banking). «Rescue practices, saying ‘people are going to be victims,’ are common in this country.»
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GES RULING
In parallel, the Minister of Health, Ximena Aguilerapointed out that «we have to have the scenarios of how the financial situation is going to evolve and when the indicators begin to be affected, and we are working on that, working with the Superintendency to see courses of action and what is most appropriate.»
«Remember that this sentence is not the same as that of the table of factors, where a return of several years back was required, but what is requested is that stop charging an amount that is considered excessiveand that is what people will receive in their account when the isapres begin to notify employers, which will be in a couple more months«said the health authority.