How the CMED Table supports hospitals’ financial health

When people talk about “tables” in healthcare, many think of TUSS or SIMPRO, the ones that organize hospital procedures and codes. But there is another table, less familiar to those outside the day-to-day of the field, that also plays a very important role in the financial balance of hospitals, clinics and even pharmacies: the CMED Table.

To start with: CMED is the acronym for the Drug Market Regulation Chamber (Câmara de Regulação do Mercado de Medicamentos), a body linked to Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) that exists to ensure that medicines sold in Brazil have fair and affordable prices. In other words, it helps prevent abuses and maintain balance between industry, healthcare services and the end consumer.

How does the CMED Table work?

CMED periodically publishes a list of the maximum price limits that can be charged at different stages of the medicine supply chain. These amounts are divided into three main categories:

PF (Factory Price)

It is the price ceiling for sales between laboratories, distributors and the public sector. It is the reference price “before” the medicine reaches the consumer.

PMC (Maximum Consumer Price)

It is the limit that pharmacies and drugstores can charge the public. It is calculated taking into account taxes and sales margins, and it varies from state to state.

PMVG (Maximum Price for Sales to Government)

Used when the buyer is the public sector. In this case, a discount called CAP must also be applied, currently set at 21.53%.

Why does this matter so much?

Picture this: a hospital buys medicines every day, from the simplest, such as saline solution, to high-cost ones, such as chemotherapy drugs and biologics. If these prices are not controlled, there is an enormous risk of overbilling, denials (that is, charges refused by payers) and even legal sanctions.

And here is a curious detail: you do not actually have to sell the medicine above the permitted price to be penalized. It is enough to submit a sales proposal in a public tender, for example, with prices above the CMED limits, and the company may already be penalized.

Administrative sanctions can apply to any company that:

• takes part in public tenders with prices above the permitted level;

• offers products in disregard of regulatory limits;

• or fails to apply the CAP discount when the law requires it.

The impact on the hospital revenue cycle

Now think about the impact of this within the revenue cycle of a hospital or clinic. If medicine prices are not carefully controlled, there may be denials (when the payer refuses reimbursement), fines and even a loss of credibility in public tenders.

On the other hand, when the institution keeps its records of medicine purchases and sales aligned with CMED parameters, it ensures transparency, legal compliance and financial security — three essential pillars of good hospital management.

In other words, knowing and correctly applying the CMED Table is not just a bureaucratic matter. It is a way to protect the institution’s cash flow and to ensure that every link in the chain — from industry to patient — operates under clear, fair rules.

And where does Rivio come into this story?

Managing all this information — CMED, TUSS, SIMPRO, denials, invoices, authorizations — is a complex task, especially in institutions that handle thousands of entries a month. That is where Rivio comes in, with its hospital financial automation solutions.

Using Artificial Intelligence in a smart, innovative way, Rivio helps hospitals and clinics optimize the revenue cycle, reduce human error and ensure compliance with tables and regulatory rules such as CMED’s. Teams then gain time to focus on what really matters: patient care and the sustainability of the business.

In short, understanding the CMED Table is the first step. Using technology to apply it efficiently is the way forward. And Rivio is already on that path.