A subsidiary and exceptional funding mechanism, up to 2 million euros, has been approved to support intermediate care places for people discharged from hospital for social reasons.
The Regional Government has amended the regime for intermediate care places – accommodation solutions for people with a hospital discharge who cannot return home for social reasons – and created exceptional funding for the year 2026.
Regulatory Decree No. 378/2026 introduces the first amendment to Regulatory Decree No. 157/2026, making the operational model more flexible. Intermediate care places can now operate in a wider variety of facilities, such as social care facilities or temporary accommodation units, provided they are previously recognised by the Madeira Institute of Social Security (ISSM, IP-RAM).
The most relevant point is the creation of a transitional provision for 2026. In case of insufficient or non-existent budgetary allocation at ISSM, IP-RAM, the costs for these places will be exceptionally and temporarily covered by the Regional Secretariat for Inclusion, Labour and Youth.
This subsidiary funding has a maximum amount of €2,000,000.00, secured by funds allocated in that regional secretariat's budget (funding source 381, budget line CY42611404). The measure aims to prevent financial constraints from blocking the release of hospital beds occupied for non-clinical reasons, relieving pressure on the Regional Health Service.
The regulatory decree takes effect retroactively from June 29, 2026.
Portaria No. 605/2026 sets the new maximum price for dental consultations under the Agreement with the Dentists' Association and updates SRS-Madeira reimbursements.
The Regional Government Council has updated the maximum fee for dental consultations covered by the Agreement with the Dental Surgeons Association, for the first time since 1997.
A new agreement allows patients from the Regional Health Service to be referred to private providers for fine-needle aspiration biopsies of thyroid nodules and the related analyses. The examinations are paid for by IASAÚDE and must not incur any charges for patients.