Senate approves annual review of prices for services provided to the SUS

The Senate approved this Wednesday (6) the bill that establishes the periodic review of remuneration values ​​for services provided to the Unified Health System (SUS). The project modifies the Organic Health Law (Law 8,080, of 1990). The law provides that, when SUS services are insufficient, the system must resort to private services, especially philanthropic hospitals, to serve the population.

PL 1,435/2022 determines that services provided by private entities, such as philanthropic hospitals, will be reviewed once a year, in December, by act of the Ministry of Health, taking into account budgetary and financial availability. The text goes to presidential sanction.

The proposal was authored by the Chamber of Deputies, which approved the PL in August. The original text linked the adjustment of prices paid by the SUS to the Broad National Consumer Price Index (IPCA), which is prohibited by the Fiscal Responsibility Law (Complementary Law 101, of 2000). However, an amendment presented by the government leader, senator Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), changed the review calculation.

The matter went to the Plenary for consideration after being approved by the Social Affairs Committee (CAS), with the rapporteur of Senator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo (MDB-PB), informed the Senate Agency. For Veneziano, “the establishment of regular adjustments, and at minimally reasonable levels, is an essential measure to ensure proper functioning and provide some economic predictability to service providers.”