On October 30, Health Minister Jaime Mañalich announced at the Senate Health Committee meeting that the Executive intends to cap medicine prices, as one of the bills being drawn up by the government will determine the maximum price charged for bioequivalent medicines, while another initiative will regulate the price of medicines patented in Chile. In addition, the Joint Budget Subcommittee approved the Ministry of Health budget for 2020, which includes the National Cancer Plan. The bill is expected to continue its legislative debate in the Joint Budget Committee in the next few days.

Due to the social crisis affecting Chile at the moment, Congress is keen to prioritize social demands in the area of access to health, which is why Mañalich was invited to appear before the Senate Health Committee to discuss the upcoming legislative initiatives to be presented by the Executive. He also explained that they will propose bills to set the prices of bioequivalent medicines as well as the price of remedies to be patented in Chile in the context of the Latin American market, which should be determined by a price Observatory.

Meanwhile, the Third Joint Budget Subcommittee approved the Health Budget for 2020 with 3 votes in favor and 2 against at a session attended by Marcelo Mosso, the director of the National Health Fund (Fonasa, for its acronym in Spanish), who presented the main axes of the bill. These focus on strengthening primary health care, the National Cancer Plan, the National Immunization Program, HIV and Mental Health, for instance. Mañalich said that “now we must discuss whether this will introduce any variation into what the Committee parliamentarians have raised, and will discuss with the Treasury.” The report of the Subcommittee will be studied by the Special Mixed Committee on Budgets, before passing to the House of Representatives and thence to the Senate.