The third universal payer won’t arrive until early next year
Source points out that the agreement applies and the payment of the CASS will be in eight days
The Acting Minister of Health, Albert Font, announced that the third universal payer will arrive at the beginning of next year “because it is very complex, especially due to training, technological difficulties, but in no case due to a lack of political will “. The first step will be for pharmaceutical products with an electronic prescription, which, according to the minister, is already enabled “without us having set a specific date, although my opinion is that it will be after the summer”. It should be remembered that Xavier Espot stated last December that the third generalized payer for the entire population would not be a reality until the first semester of this year.
The third universal payer won’t arrive until early next year
The head of Health also wanted to make it clear in the face of speculation that the CASS will fulfill the agreement it has signed with health professionals and pharmacies, and that it will make the income for medical procedures or the sale of medicines in eight days. “The payment will be made in eight days, as agreed in the agreement. This goes to mass”, stressed Font. He did admit that the CASS claimed the monthly payment, but the minister specified that currently the reimbursement to the members is done within 48 hours.
For the time being, the implementation of the third payer for those over 65, as well as for the group of people with disabilities, has not entailed any additional costs for public finances. This was indicated by the minister, who explained that the first phase of implementation of the measure has not involved “an explosion” in healthcare consumption.
The minister defends continuing with the opening in the coming months, without specifying which groups would be next. “It will continue to advance and I think it will reach, I don’t know when, the entire population; it will surely be in the new mandate.” In January 2019, the General Council approved the modification of the Social Security Law, which included the third-party payer route that stipulates that the patient will only have to pay 25% directly.
