La Derecha Diario After the dollar's decline, Medifé and Swiss Medical reduce May's increases
These two companies decided to apply a lower increase than they had previously announced for the May installments
After the sharp drop in the official dollar and consumer pressure, several companies in prepaid medicine decided to reduce the planned increases for the month of May.
At least two companies decided to apply a lower increase than they had announced for May's fees. This decision was made after a key meeting between sector executives and Ministry of Health officials, where objections were raised about how the increases had been established.
The companies that decided to roll back their increases are Medifé and Swiss Medical. In the case of Medifé, its members were informed last week of an increase of 3.7% for May, in line with March's inflation according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). However, a new communication sent this Thursday indicated that the increase will finally be lower.
"We have decided to support our members at this time by absorbing part of this increase," stated Medifé's note, referring to the originally planned increase. The final increase will be 2.7%.
Meanwhile, Swiss Medical adopted a similar stance. Company sources confirmed that between Thursday and Friday, new notifications began to be sent, informing that the increase in fees will be 2.4%, instead of the previously announced 3.7%.
"We don't like to communicate increases," the prepaid message states, "but we have the responsibility to guarantee you the health service you deserve." It also adds: "In recent days, we have observed a stabilization of the exchange rate at levels lower than initially expected, which allows us to reduce the announced increase without compromising service quality."
Additionally, the company clarified that if any member receives an invoice with the original 3.7% increase, "the difference will be automatically credited in the following month's fee." This measure aims to avoid confusion and ensure there are no additional charges.
This decision comes in a context where several companies had applied price increases, arguing a supposed immediate impact due to the end of the exchange control and a possible rise in the dollar. However, what was observed in the following days was a sharp drop in the exchange rate, accompanied by macroeconomic stability, which deflated inflationary expectations.
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