One billion a year from 2009 to 2011. Result: a sting of three billion over the three-year period. And goodbye to the "pact" signed by Romano Prodi. Healthcare spending will be called upon to play its part up to almost 10% of the entire three-year budget. But perhaps even more, if the hypothesis that the cut on the trend will be 6 billion is confirmed: 1 billion in 2009, 2 in 2010, 3 in 2011. Then it would be a huge blow.
From Via XX Settembre, in short, Giulio Tremonti he let the Regions know that the Economy will not even make discounts on Healthcare. Is the pact already in force? Europe is calling, and that is the priority. Equally dry was the reply from the representative of the presidents, Vasco Errani (Emilia Romagna): «It is unacceptable that we do not respect the pacts that allow us three-year planning. We are ready to do our part, but others do too. This is why we ask to see everyone's numbers and accounts». A reverse due diligence, in short. Also because the Regions are raising the bar on other burning issues such as the internal stability pact and local public transport. And on the ICI cut which drains a few hundred billion. And they put pressure on Parliament with ad hoc amendments: advances to the 100% for the Regions in compliance with the NHS accounts and a rewarding system on the internal stability pact for "virtuous" realities.
The hope of the Regions is to reopen the game in the final hours: there will be a technical meeting on Monday, the political summit on Tuesday. Little time to change Tremonti's mind, and more. Without saying that the push and pull on Lazio, which the commissioner will only avoid if the government wants it, is one more card for Palazzo Chigi.
While waiting to shed light on the 2008 accounts of the NHS, here are the first evaluations on pharmaceuticals. Which in the first quarter of the year, examined yesterday by the Aifa board of directors, gave mixed signals. The costs of the contract (through pharmacies) were below the ceiling (14%) set by the recent reform. Expenditure stood at 13.4%, with 6 Regions exceeding the bar: Sicily (16.7), Calabria (16.2), Lazio (15.1), Molise and Puglia (14.8) and Abruzzo (14.7); the lowest value (9.5%) in Bolzano. Thanks to the drop in March (-9.2%), the agreed expenditure on drugs was 2.964 billion, with a drop of 2.1% over the same period in 2007. But with prescriptions up by 5.8%.
However, the drop in spending through the pharmacy channel was matched by a very strong increase in hospital pharmaceuticals: the ceiling of 2.4% was exceeded by almost 50%, settling at +3.5 per cent. All Regions, with the exception of Calabria, are above the budget, with the top being Sardinia (4.9%), Umbria and Puglia (both at 4.3%). Demonstrating the effect of local maneuvers that shift consumption from pharmacies to hospitals to ensure lower costs. The shelf of the hospital pharmaceutical expenditure extra-currency at the end of the year will be totally a load of the Regions. Roberto Turno Il Sole 24 Ore of 13/06/2008 IN THE FOREGROUND p. 2
