The Chamber of Deputies approved this Tuesday (11) a complementary bill that provides for up to R$ 2 billion to clean up the finances of Santas Casas and philanthropic hospitals and that may open space for states and municipalities to pay for the nursing floor.
The text, authored by deputy Tiago Dimas (Podemos-TO), was approved by 383 votes to 3 — they voted against Damião Feliciano (União Brasil-PB), Joseildo Ramos (PT-BA) and Roberto de Lucena (Republicans-SP) . Now, the proposal goes to the Senate.
The project solves a gap left by the text approved in the Senate, which authorizes states and municipalities to pay the national nursing floor with resources that had been destined to combat Covid-19. According to the rapporteur of the text, Senator Marcelo Castro (MDB-PI), the proposal did not solve the problem of private, philanthropic and Santas Casas hospitals and did not bring a definitive source of revenue.
The text extends until the end of 2023 a complementary law that authorizes states and municipalities to transfer resources from financial balances remaining from previous years of health funds. This money comes from transfers from the Ministry of Health.
According to the project, up to R$ 2 billion of this transposed or transferred financial balance must be applied to the cost of services provided by private non-profit entities that complement the SUS (Unified Health System).
The objective is “to contribute to the economic-financial sustainability of these institutions in maintaining the services, without interruption.”
“These R$ 2 billion are fundamental resources that will save philanthropic hospitals and the Santas Casas do Brasil literally and will prevent thousands and thousands of dismissals of nurses and nursing technicians in Brazil”, said Deputy Darci de Matos (PSD-SC ).
The text provides that state and municipal health funds give wide publicity to the CNPJ and the entities that will receive the resources. This credit must occur within 30 days, and the transfer is not conditioned to the Santa Casa or beneficiary entity’s payment.
The proposal determines that Santas Casas and philanthropic hospitals that receive the funds must account for the application of the money to state and municipal health funds.
After releasing the R$ 2 billion to these entities, the resources transposed or transferred from the funds can be applied for other purposes in public health actions and services. This money could reinforce the cash of states and municipalities, opening space to pay for the nursing floor.
After December 2023, remaining balances in accounts created before January 1, 2018 must be returned to the Union. The text also authorizes the Union to transfer to states and municipalities next year the difference between the financial balances calculated in accounts opened before January 1, 2018 and the BRL 2 billion.
In the session, the leader of the government in the Chamber, Ricardo Barros (PP-PR), stated that he had reached an agreement to vote on the text that releases the resources for Santas Casas.
“There was a text approved by the Ministry of Economy and the Secretary of Government that defines the way in which we can transfer these R$ 2 billion, looking at the extrateto production, at what was done beyond the contractualization and therefore solving the Santas’ liabilities houses,” he said.
The rapporteur of the text, Antonio Brito (PSD-BA), stated that his opinion sought to ensure that the resources from the transposition of health funds were “preferably intended for the cost of these entities in the form of financial aid, in the maximum amount of R$ 2 billion , based on parameters to be defined by the Federal Executive Branch, with wide publicity being given to the transfer of these resources.”
The text approved by senators last week authorizes states and municipalities to pay the national nursing floor with resources that had been earmarked for the fight against Covid-19. According to Marcelo Castro, about R$ 34 billion are sitting in health fund accounts and can be used.
The nursing salary floor was approved by Congress and sanctioned in August, but the Federal Supreme Court (STF) suspended application of the law for 60 days until the source of funds for the payment is clarified.
If Congress approves a source of funding for the nursing floor, Minister Luis Roberto Barroso, rapporteur of the action in the STF, could, in theory, alone revoke the decision that suspended the measure.
The national nursing floor set a salary of at least R$4,750 for nurses. Nursing technicians must receive 70% of this amount (R$ 3,325), and nursing assistants and midwives, 50% (R$ 2,375).
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