You probably already know the medical inflation calculated by the Institute of Supplementary Health Studies (IESS) called VCMH.

This index, which means Hospital Medical Cost Variation, expresses the variation in the costs of health plan operators with services provided to care for beneficiaries compared to the last 12 months.

In this calculation, the variation in prices for services such as consultations, exams, surgeries, treatments and hospitalizations and the frequency of use of each one are taken into account. To obtain this data with transparency and practicality, the health plan operator can count on a medical audit system.

Through the VCMH it is possible to indicate the variation in the per capita cost that an operator has with its customer portfolio periodically. With this information in hand, you can take a series of actions in favor of improvement and growth of your healthcare provider.

In this post, we will talk about the VCMH in 2021 and how you can plan for 2022, without surprises with medical inflation! Continue reading until the end:

Customer expenses return to pre-pandemic numbers

Here in Brazil, VCMH has a history of recording an increase in its index every year, which means that operators spend more and more with their customers.

However, with the pandemic in 2020, there was a decrease in the number of procedures and consultations carried out, in addition to an increase in the demand for health plans.

In this way, VCMH recorded an unprecedented feat and achieved an inflation with a negative index of 1.9%, which resulted in authorization from the ANS (National Supplementary Health Agency) for a negative adjustment in individual health plans.

With an easing of the critical condition caused by the pandemic, the VCMH rose and reached an index of 18.2% in June 2021.

This increase shows that expenses have increased again and are already reaching the same levels as in the pre-pandemic period in Brazil, indicating that the VCMH in 2022, referring to 2021, should reflect this scenario and continue with rising numbers.

Claims rate in supplementary health also reflects a return to 2019 numbers

These increases in operators' expenses with customers are also evidenced by a return in accident data to the same levels as in 2019, before the pandemic.

According to information released by ANS, the accident rate in 2021 recorded an average percentage of 78.2%, approaching the numbers from 2019, when it reached 80.6%.

Analyzing this data by semester, it is possible to notice an increase in numbers throughout the year and also compared to 2019.

To be clearer, in the 1st half of 2021, the average accident rate was lower than the same period in 2019, being 79.5% in 2019 and 77% in 2021.

Meanwhile, in the 2nd semester there was a record of the same percentage in both years (80.5%).

There is also an increase in the rate between the months of November and December 2021, proving an upward trend in accident rates in 2022 due to an increase in operator expenses.

VCMH impacts in 2022 could be even greater due to the Brazilian economic crisis

Medical inflation is higher than general economic inflation due to VCMH considering several factors in its accounting.

When taking into account the increase in costs and quantities of use of services provided, the Variation in Hospital Medical Costs may have a greater variation than expected given the forecasts of reduced GDP growth for the year 2022.

Thus, the entire economic scenario in Brazil, together with positive medical inflation, could cause operators to have higher expenses than expected throughout the year.

Strategies for healthcare providers to prepare for VCMH in 2022

Promote preventative medicine and wellness actions for your clients

This year, health care providers can prioritize incentives for their customers to undergo more preventive procedures and treatments.

In the short term, with routine checkups and exams, illnesses can be discovered earlier and avoid the need for procedures or treatments that are more costly and less effective due to the severity of the illnesses.

In the long term, the health and quality of life of participants will be greater and this will reduce the occurrence of illnesses and problems in individuals over the years.

Manage your carrier resources

Have control of all procedures carried out by the operator and the resources that were used in each service.

This can be done through internal audits and constant checks on reports that show the operator's expenses periodically.

Specialized software can perform this work and increase data reliability, in addition to allowing information visualizations in real time.

Based on the data obtained, analyze the scenario found, check occurrences of waste and needs for changes and make decisions based on the indicators found in the operator.

Modernize your processes using technologies

By using technologies to manage operators and automate processes, companies can benefit from reduced costs in their operations.

Transactions such as electronic document management, integrated database with usability history of healthcare services and electronic quotes from suppliers can be automated.

These processes will be less costly for operators, because they allow for more assertive decision-making, less prone to errors and also more agile in their execution, even benefiting their customers.

Get to know SAUDI

In 2022, given the scenario we are experiencing, the SAUDI system could be the ideal solution for managing your operator.

SAUDI is a system with a simple and intuitive interface designed to maintain the financial health of supplementary health plan operators.

To achieve this, our software automates management processes, such as audit of accounts of medical service providers, using artificial intelligence.

With this, your distributor can reduce extra or unnecessary costs in the first 3 months of using our software and can better prepare for medical inflation in 2022.

Get in touch with our experts from the site or via WhatsApp: 21 99851-9296 and discover our customized solutions for your healthcare provider to grow with support and in a well-structured manner.