Tough issues re health plan

[NewsWhore]

Monday's meeting to discuss the ailing family health plan (SFS) at the Presidential Palace demonstrated, according to private sector spokespersons, "that we are not ready for the start up and thus not ready to start paying." The president of the employers' confederation (COPARDOM), Maribel Gasso, and the president of the Industrial Association (AIRD), Manuel Diez Cabral, agreed that the meeting proved their point that the nation was just not ready for such an ambitious family health plan. According to Diez Cabral, the industrial sector is at risk due to competitiveness issues and cannot afford, at this time, to pay out money for a service that cannot be guaranteed. Gasso said that, "they (the government) cannot start charging for something that they are not providing." Another business leader, Lisandro Macarrulla, the president of the Private Business Council (CONEP), told reporters that an education campaign was needed to "inform the public about the realities of the situation." All three defined Monday's meeting as "productive" since different parts of the national health care system were able to express their opinions on the start up of the SFS, the Family Health Insurance program. Union leaders agreed that a lot more information was needed to inform the public about the new system. Business leaders will meet with president Fernandez next week to push for guaranteed services for the workers, before the actual start of the program.

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