The Government filed its amendments with the Senate Budget Commission. In addition to the Fund for innovative drugs, more money for asbestos remediation and new criteria for allocating the Health Fund to the Regions. But the question of 2015 resources for health care still remains pending. And Chiamparino hopes that there is still time to conclude an agreement with the government. GOVERNMENT AMENDMENTS (VOL. 1), (VOL. 2)
14 DEC – Between Friday and Saturday, the Government filed various amendments to the Stability bill with the Senate Budget Commission. The most relevant for health is undoubtedly the one establishing the Fund for Innovative Medicines providing for an allocation of 1 billion in the two-year period 2015/2016. Most of these resources (900 million) will be drawn from restricted funds already allocated for the achievement of the objectives of the National Health Plan. The other 100 million will instead be financed by the state.
In all, therefore, 1 billion euros in two years and not 1.5 as has been rumored in recent days. Furthermore, in anticipation of possible expenditure overruns following the introduction of innovative drugs, the current pay-back rules for pharmaceutical companies are also amended, providing for direct competition from the companies producing innovative drugs which should cause an expenditure overrun.
However, the solution to the dispute with the Regions is still pending for the determination of the 2015 Health Fund, and so the president of the Regions Sergio Chiamparino, in positively commenting the news of the Government amendment for the easing of the stability pact and therefore the availability of 1 billion for the Regions to be allocated to the so-called vertical pact with incentives (amendment 2.9500, volume 2), he "hopes that there will still be the possibility in the next few hours to share a common path to define the levels of resources for healthcare in 2015".
Lastly, among the amendments of the Government there is also one (2.9814, volume 2) which could allow election day for the local and regional elections of 2015, currently scheduled for different periods, however leaving the autonomy to the local and regional authorities to keep the original dates.
Here are the amendments of health interest presented to date by the Government
Volume 1.
Amendment 1.800 - Increase fund for disadvantaged families
The Funds for the family goes from 5 to 8 million euros for the food, energy and health needs of less well-off families.
Amendment 1.900 – Rules on 5×1.000
More transparency in donations for the 5×1000
Volume 2.
Amendment 1.9200 – Asbestos reclamation
Allocated an annual contribution of 45 million for the three-year period 2015/2017 for the remediation of sites contaminated by asbestos.
Amendment 1.9202 – Assistance for mesothelioma patients
Experimental extension of the assistance benefits of the Asbestos Victim Fund also to mesothelioma patients who have contracted the disease following asbestos processing or proven environmental exposure.
Amendment 1.9208 – Disabled work fund
Increase of the fund for the right to work of the disabled by 20 million for 2015.
Amendment 1.9211 – Support for the Paralympics
Contribution of 7 million per year for the activities of the National Paralympic Committee.
Amendment 1.9207 – Social card also for foreigners (EU and non-EU)
Extend the purchase card (social card) introduced by the 2014 stability law to EU and non-EU citizens, which was abolished in the process of being converted into law.
Amendment 2.9819 – Establishment of the Fund for innovative medicines
A Fund for the purchase of innovative drugs is set up at the Ministry of Health with a State allocation of 100 million euros for 2015 (deducted from the fund for structural economic policy interventions), to which 400 million are added for 2015 and another 500 for 2016, obtained instead from the quotas for restricted use already allocated for the achievement of the objectives of the National Health Plan. In relation to spending within the resources made available by the Fund, the payback rules also change. In particular, if the company's turnover for a specific innovative drug exceeds the quota of 300 million annually, the same company will be required to bear the payback in the amount of 20% of any overrun of the resources put in place by the Fund for innovative drugs, while the remaining 80% will be distributed, in proportion to the respective turnovers, among all the other pharmaceutical companies holding patents for non-innovative drugs. The purpose of the modification, reads the technical report to the amendment, is to avoid the burden of the entire overrun of the territorial pharmaceutical expenditure ceiling, attributable to innovative drugs, on the other pharmaceutical companies not involved in the Fund.
Amendment 2.9820 – New allotment criteria for the national health fund
The criteria for allocating the health fund are changing and will also have to take into account the achievement of certain quality standards. Expected agreement in the State Regions by 30 April 2015.
December 14, 2014 – dailyhealthcare.it
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