ANS: agency that oversees health plans is in debt – 10/01/2024 – Market

The ANS (National Supplementary Health Agency) has debts and late payments of around R$ 16 million, according to the agency itself. Sheet.

“It is possible to state that there is significant loss in several of the agency’s activities and contracts,” said the institution, in a note. “ANS has debts and delays in payment of contracts totaling over R$ 16 million, including with a travel agency (air tickets), with the daily wages of servers and managers on business trips, with several technology service contracts. and information security, exclusive labor (outsourcing), support and contracted services (document management, for example), as well as postal services (communication for the effectiveness of administrative acts) and with EBC (Brazilian Company of Communication) – mandatory official press”, he said.

According to the institution, the agency negotiates cuts of more than 50% of their monthly costs with suppliers. “The focus in these negotiations is to cut a maximum of 25% from each contract in order to maintain the supply of main products and services at a minimum.”

ANS is responsible for monitoring and regulating a complex sector, which covers 51 million medical health plan consumers and 33 million dental plan customers. Its mission is to monitor the work of more than 900 healthcare operators and 170,000 service providers, who carry out almost 2 billion procedures a year, including consultations, exams, therapies and surgeries.

Its budget this year is 30% higher than last year, reaching R$500.2 million. Of this total, R$408 million are mandatory expenses, compared to R$272.3 million last year. The discretionary ones are R$92.2 million, below the R$110.8 million in 2023.

In the case of discretionary expenses, where the commitments are not provided for in specific law, ANS has the flexibility to decide how to use them. “However, cuts and blockages always affect these expenses”, he stated.

According to the agency, the crisis affects inspection actions, reimbursement charges to the SUS (Unified Health System), assistance and economic monitoring of the regulated market and strategic projects of the Regulatory Agenda.

There are also impacts on the development of IT solutions that help the agency’s units in projects, such as the Portability system. At the same time, budget restrictions make it difficult for the agency to participate in industry events that are relevant to monitoring the market.

Still, according to ANS, there are no delays in decisions. “Despite the difficulties, the board of directors, employees and other collaborators of the agency have done everything possible to maintain the progress of the processes and work, but it is certain that, without prospects and without guarantees of the necessary funds, eventually the situation will have an outcome which will compromise services to society”, says the text sent to Sheet.

According to the agency, since the end of the pandemic, most employees have opted for remote or hybrid work, but the regulator’s headquarters and centers continue to operate.