After the scandal over increases in prepaid fees and his departure from the chamber that brings together the main private medicine companies, the owner of Swiss Medical and former president of the Argentine Health Union (UAS), Claudio Belocopitt gave up buying Medicus, but kept the rest of the shares that were missing to complete the total ownership of the Sanatorium The Lomas of San Isidroof which he already owned, first, 30%, and then, 50%.
The Medicus operation – with a negotiation that began in 2022 with its founder, Jorge Aufieroand an estimated disbursement in US$ 23 million− was questioned by the Defense of Competition (CNDC)an organization dependent on the Ministry of Commerce, considering that implied a dominant market position. “There is a case of concentration of Swiss Medical when acquiring Medicus, which is being analyzed. The CNDC has not yet issued a ruling on the matter,” he told Clarion a source close to the transaction.
Others linked to the operation they talk about a cleavagesince they maintain that the De All family, with which Belocopitt made the transfer of shares and is the owner of the Otamendi Sanatorium, He needed to support the development of this clinic and that is why he decided to keep 100% of Medicus and get rid of the 50% he had of the San Isidro health center. At the same time, they clarify that although Belocopitt had 50% of the prepaid and Las Lomasdid not intervene in the day-to-day management of either of them.
The CNDC investigation adds to a antecedent for which Belocopitt is targeted: The Government estimated that Swiss Medical received US$ 13 million in subsidies collected during the pandemic with the ATP and Repro mechanisms, which served to pay the salaries of the employees of their firms (even some that, according to the current administration, did not carry out activities considered essential during the quarantine).
Swiss Medical is the second largest prepaid, behind Osde, with a 14.8% participation and more than 1 million members. While, Medicus was eighth in the ranking, with 240,000 affiliates and a share of less than 4%, at the time Belocopitt began the approach. With the purchase of Medicus, Belocopitt would concentrate 18.8% of the private medicine business.
The businessman – linked to the mass management and partner of José Luis Manzano, Daniel Vila y Gabriel Hochbaum in the media group America− entered the sector with the purchase of the Swiss Clinic in the late ’90s and was gaining power in the industry. In 2021, it expanded the business of Swiss Medical Group −his holding company which also includes an insurance firm− and acquired 50% of the shares of the Cardiovascular Institute of Buenos Aires (ICBA).
The group also owns the sanatoriums Agote and Los Arcosclinics Zabala and Olivosand the pediatric center San Lucas. Inside, it has St. Luke’s Women’s Clinic in Neuquén, specialist in gynecology, obstetrics and neonatology; and Salta Heightsin the province of the same name.
And now He went for more, with the 50% he was missing from Las Lomas. This year, Belocopitt acquired the share the Pavlosky family had in that sanatorium and its ownership went from 30% to 50%. In that way, Only the De All family was left.
As far as he could know Clarion, the plan is to offer Swiss Medical services there until the work of the health center that Belocopitt is building in Nordelta with an estimated investment in US$80 million. Sanatorio Las Lomas has 1,600 employees. Although its original headquarters is in San Isidro, which opened in 1994, there are three others that offer outpatient care in Nordelta, Pilar and Caballito. In this way, Swiss Medical will have two clinics in the Tigre district, when its own is ready.