How Telemedicine and Minimum Wage Affect Your Wallet

What's at stake?

According to Valor Econômico, presidential candidate Augusto Cury recently advocated for adopting telemedicine for 80% of SUS consultations during an interview. He also suggested a real increase of 1% in the minimum wage and a 50% tax on online betting, but did not provide clear details on balancing public accounts. Cury's proposal for telemedicine, which he believes to be an effective solution, raises questions about how this would affect access to health care and, consequently, your personal finances.

Why does this matter?

In recent years, telemedicine has gained prominence, especially during the pandemic. If Cury's proposal is implemented, you could conduct most medical consultations remotely, without leaving your home. This could mean reduced expenses on transportation and time, as well as easier access to specialist doctors. Have you ever imagined not having to wait months to see a specialist, just by having a video call?

On the other hand, the proposed 1% increase in the minimum wage, when compared to the current rule that could result in larger increases, may be a double-edged sword. For someone earning the minimum wage, this could translate to about R$ 20 more per month. However, if inflation continues to rise, that increase may not be sufficient to maintain your purchasing power.

Practical impact on your finances

Let's put this into perspective. Suppose you earn R$ 1,200.00 per month. With a real increase of 1%, you would start receiving R$ 1,212.00. However, if inflation is 5% per year, your purchasing power would actually decrease, since what you can buy with R$ 1,200.00 today will not be the same as what you could buy with R$ 1,212.00 next year.

Additionally, with the telemedicine proposal, you could save on medical consultations. For instance, a consultation that costs R$ 300 in a clinic could be done for R$ 150 on a telemedicine platform, depending on your health plan. This savings, combined with what you could spend on transportation, can make a significant difference in your monthly budget.

What can you do now?

Here are some actionable steps you can take to prepare for these changes:

• Review your budget: With the telemedicine proposal, consider adjusting your health expenses. If you already use online consultations, see how much you can save.
• Plan for the future: With the minimum wage increase, assess whether you need to adjust your emergency fund to cover potential increases in the prices of the products you consume.
• Stay informed: Keep up with new government proposals and how they may affect your financial life.

Connection with financial organization

Cury's proposal, if applied, could help alleviate some expenses and provide more agility in accessing health care, but it’s always good to remember that financial control should be a priority. Implementing the 50/30/20 method can be an effective way to keep your finances in order. Allocate 50% of your income for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings and investments.

Using platforms like ADXIS can facilitate your financial management, helping you track your expenses and make more informed decisions about how to spend or save your money. After all, at the end of the day, what matters is how you can use these changes to your advantage.