The Sindicatura Accounts have discovered a new black hole in the so-called “Alzira model” (the deprivation of hospitals and public centers, which the PP of Eduardo Zaplana and Francisco Camps implemented in the Valencian Community in five health departments). The report published this Monday (volume 1, page 26) reveals that the Tribune of Accounts is investigating whether there is “accounting responsibility” in the payment by the Ministry of Health to the Valencian Institute of Oncology (IVO) for the care of oncological patients assigned to privatized health services, therefore managed by Ribera Salud (Alzira, Dènia, Torrevieja and Elche-Crevillente) or by Sanitas (Manises). Of all, only that of Elche-Crevillente remains privatized.
This situation would imply that Santé would have paid twice for the service. The IVO is a foundation financed almost entirely by public funds from the Generalitat to which any Valencian can therefore go voluntarily, regardless of the hospital assigned to them according to their area of residence, services which are then paid for by the Ministry of Health. What the Court of Auditors is looking for is whether Health has incurred a double payment when these patients treated at the IVO belong or have belonged to a privatized health service, since among the payments made by the administration to companies for each inhabitant assigned to the managed area (capita) are also included oncological treatments.
Concretely, the aforementioned document highlights, among other issues analyzed, that “the Ministry of Health has assumed the cost of treatments billed by the Foundation of the Valencian Institute of Oncology (IVO) for several patients entrusted to the concessionaires”.
This situation, “highlighted on several occasions by the Court of Auditors, is currently being analyzed by the Court of Auditors, which has opened a pre-procedural procedure in order to determine the possible existence of an accounting liability, which is currently being processed”. In this sense, “in 2025 the department passed on oncological expenses amounting to 45.4 million euros to the dealers, who submitted appeals”.
In this regard, health sources explained to elDiario.es that this calculation is part of the regulations and that it is precisely for this reason that they have demanded 45 million euros from both Ribera Salud and Sanitas. In the case of Ribera Salud, the same sources assured that they have already paid the requested amount. In response to questions from this editorial staff, the two companies preferred not to comment.
After the PP extended the “Alzira model”, the left-wing Botánico government recovered public management of the Alzira and Torrevieja hospitals, both in the hands of Ribera Salud. In addition, it has started the steps to do the same with that of Dénia, also managed by Ribera Salud, and with that of Manises, by Sanitas. With the change of political color at the head of the Generalitat, the PP of Carlos Mazón put an end to both processes, but extended the Ribera Salud contract at the Vinalopó hospital in Elche for five years, based on alleged quality and efficiency audits that were never made public.
Among the many problems that this model presents, such as structural deficiencies in contracts, difficulties in implementing control mechanisms or high litigation, it also highlights the difficulties in achieving the final settlements of each year, that is, the economic balance in which it is calculated if the Generalitat must pay additional sums to the management companies for extraordinary care and other unforeseen expenses or if, on the contrary, it is the commercial companies that must return money administration, among other aspects, for patients assigned to the areas. privatized health services that were ultimately treated in public centers.
Minister Marciano Gómez highlighted last week, during the plenary session of the Corts, that during his responsibility in the department over the last two years, 35 liquidations of concessions have been regularized and almost 300 million euros have already been deposited in the accounts of the Generalitat (240 million from Sanitas and 60 from Ribera Salud), while in 8 years of the Botànic there have been 26 liquidations.
The scandal born from the publication of some audios of the CEO of Ribera Salud, Pablo Gallart, proposing to increase waiting lists and reject unprofitable processes for economic reasons at the Torrejón University Hospital, revealed by the newspaper The country They only highlighted the ineffectiveness and unsustainability of the model.
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