Hapvida cancels health plans and raises prices amid cost pressure

Hapvida's strategy of applying high double-digit adjustments and canceling 947,000 deficit health plans, equivalent to 11% of its total portfolio, highlights the severe cost pressure eroding margins in the supplementary health sector. This drastic business decision occurs in a challenging macroeconomic scenario, marked by a 12-month accumulated IPCA of 4.44% and a Selic rate raised to 14.00% per year, which increases the cost of capital and forces publicly traded companies to prioritize profitability over base expansion. With an average ticket of these problematic contracts representing only half of that charged by the company, the operator seeks to stem operational leaks and reduce the occupancy of its own network in overburdened markets. Looking at the broader macroeconomic outlook, expensive credit and pressured exchange rates, with the commercial dollar quoted at R$ 5.1639 and a 1.81% rise in the 7-day window, create a cascade effect that makes hospital supplies, medicines, and imported equipment more expensive, passing volatility to the entire health chain.