The Social Welfare Institute (IPS) made headlines this week after leaving diabetic insured without insulin. As announced by pension authorities, they would only replace it during the week.
In September of this year, the entity was also criticized for the lack of oncological drugs (cancer), just for citing the most recent cases.
Pedro Halley, former IPS benefits manager, reported that the problem involves the health fund paid by the entity, since the lack of medicines is a phenomenon that is always repeated.
He reported that the pension fund raises US $ 100 million a month (US $ 3.3 million a day), but only 39% goes to the purchase of medicines. 54% goes to the retirement fund, while the remaining 7% goes to general expenses (salaries, infrastructure and more).
Health insurance as it comes in is spent. While the pension fund is profitable, there is a remainder that is destined to a technical reserve (currently totaling US $ 2,200 million).
“It is related to the design of the financing of the health fund. It is a financial design that dates back to 1950. When it was estimated only 200 thousand insured ”, he expressed.
Another factor to consider is that, at that time, the formulary only contained 100 drugs. Now it contains 600. Not also counting on very expensive drugs such as oncological blisters that cost up to G. 30 million.
“The demand grew, but the financial design stayed in 1950. With that model, every year things will continue to be lacking. As long as this financial design is not modified and other sources of income are allowed, we will continue to have this problem, “he said.
BATAGLIA
Vicente Bataglia took office on March 11 as the new head of the IPS. He replaced Andrés Gubetich, who was one of the dismissed of Abdo Benítez, in order to transmit tranquility to the citizens. This, after a series of demonstrations demanding a political trial against the president.
Regarding the degree of responsibility that Bataglia has for the lack of medicines, the interviewee affirmed that, even if Mother Teresa from Calcutta or Pope John Paul II is brought in, the problems will continue to get worse because they are financial.
“It is an upward curve. There are also management problems that have to do with excessive demand, the lack of enough doctors, all of this is a set of problems that makes health insurance suffer and poor care is paid, “he said.
For Halley, the owner of the pension, more than the culprit is one more victim of this situation.
“Apart from not having a full financial view of what social security is, you are facing a monster. They put it there and it will have to be benched. Hopefully, the next one to come will be a social security technician who can manage this crisis ”, he commented.
SOLUTION
Finally, the economist pointed out that social security specialists should analyze the health fund and the pension fund for a better distribution of resources.
“But this is not going to be solved. Financial investments must also be redesigned. Redesign governance to move away from the political power of the day. It has to stop being the petty cash of the government of the day and the employment agency of a senator, “he said.
NUMBERS
The pension has around 1.6 million insured, but contributors are only 500 thousand. This means that those who pay are only the second. The former are familiar.
The IPS also has 63,000 retirees. Among them, 43 thousand are older adults who have already reached the established age. Another 10,000 are disabled people, and the remaining 10,000 are beneficiaries of single payments (subsidies or reimbursements).
