Health reform was sold to the public rather than a necessity; almost like an imposition. Failure to take " urgent" measures, the public system would not withstand the increasing budgetary pressure. Health was in serious danger: it was "unsustainable". The Government of Mariano Rajoy presented the Royal Decree 16/2012 as the magic formula that would save the system from collapse. Two years later, what has gotten real reform is altering its essence: the citizen has been a beneficiary of a right secured in a service. On the way he also missed the vocation of universality that had guided the latest health regulations, they tried to go reducing groups excluded from the system. Since Mato reform was passed, April 20, 2012, the illegal immigrants have lost their right to be treated on an equal footing with other citizens. Goodbye to universality; hello inequality.
The exclusion of assistance in the form of loss of health insurance card does not only affect undocumented foreigners. Successive amendments to the standard have caused also left out another group, that of the families of immigrants who called the family reunification residence and obtained after approval decretazo. They are mostly older people, parents of workers who emigrated to Spain to work, they regularized their situation and then brought their families. Spanish citizens may also lose the right to health care from January 1, 2013: the long-term unemployed who have exhausted the benefit or unemployment benefits and residing outside Spain over 90 days in a year lose the card. There is also the case of rentiers: people who have never traded and have over 100,000 euros revenue. Although their taxes borne public health, nor do they have card.
Despite these exceptions, as organizations and social services of autonomy have reported hundreds of cases of neglect, Mato remains committed to ensure that the Spanish public health has never been so universal as now.
The approval process of reform was seen and unseen. The change was of such depth that would have required a new law, but was not, as pointed Conxita Tarruella spokesman Health CiU "We call on the Congress to be made ??through a bill that could be discussed and crushed, and refused claiming the urgency... "she recalls. In 2012 he began to feel the full impact of the cuts in the national health system, with the establishment plans dwindle, fewer resources and an unprecedented increase in waiting lists. Then flew the veiled threat of the introduction of payment for medical visit. Health never publicly announced that think apply, but now hints that reform has been avoided.
What he did do the "urgent" rescue the ailing Spanish public health was down another taboo, the pharmaceutical copayment. The reform of the drug payment system had a surprise for pensioners who had never set euro itself from his pocket to collect tax - medication in the pharmacy. Active workers and copagaban, but first - retirees began in July 2012 - to disburse 10 % of their medications (stops 8, 18 or 60 euros per month depending on income). For other citizens, the percentage of payment for drugs was established by income: 40% for those earning up to 18,000 euros per year, 50% of those with an income between 18,000 and 100,000, and 60% of those earning more than that figure.
A vast step that the Ministry announced months ago that modulate. It has not done so. "The idea is to establish some more stretch so that the contribution is more equitable, we are waiting for the autonomous communities, which have asked, send us your suggestions on what pattern set," says Agustín Rivero, CEO of Portfolio basic Services of the Ministry of Health. "They are closer to the people and see the problems that can arise, but have not given us enough information," he adds.
The inequality between communities that generated the reform is one of the things that worries José Martínez Olmos, PSOE spokesman. Each has met its way to policy challenges that have raised the changes dictated in Madrid. Some cater to illegal immigrants; others do not. Some returned when it overcharged pensioners; other they often take months. And worse, he says, "is that from the point of view of the economy, the reform has failed to make the system more sustainable."
Rivero, however, ensures that the balance is " positive." Explains a few days ago went to Brussels to account for the results of the measures and the response was satisfactory. "The first was to maintain the system, considered as a good system, then ensure that it is universal, public and free for those who reside in Spain; and then maintain the quality, efficiency and accessibility of the most vulnerable groups, " he says. "We have achieved significant savings. Especially in the pharmaceutical area, which is down about 3,000 million euros, "he says. And remember that with the changes now are a million people, mostly unemployed without benefits, you no longer pay for their drugs.
Tags: exclusive, expensive, health