Since he began the presidency in 2004, Mutua Universal has been at the head of important advances that are undoubtedly the result of his valuable work. As the definitive push towards the modernity of the entity through the application of innovation to management and health, as the engine which continues to provide excellent care, with the organisation of the Innovation and Health Awards as the culmination of this.

During his years as president, Juan Echevarria has led the mutual through the relentless search for excellence and good corporate governance, a field in which he has promoted strategic initiatives to strengthen the entity’s internal control, such as the Audit and Compliance Committee or the Code of Conduct and Criminal Risk Prevention Commission.

These are responsibilities and a presidency that he now leaves in the hands of Jaime Aguirre de Cárcer y Moreno, currently the first vice president of the Board of Directors and whom I would like to thank in advance for assuming the challenge of preserving what his predecessor achieved, with a constant eye on what is to come. Everything, from the effort to preserve universality, proximity to the mutual members, continuous improvement and the vocation of public service. The historical values of mutualism.

In his performance we can, to a large extent, see the most immediate future of the mutual. A future that we face with optimism, that we are inspired by having grown in the main economic and management indicators and knowing that we are a solvent entity established among the best mutuals collaborating with Social Security. Results that can be interpreted from our management and reaction capacity, with a strategic vision that allows us to anticipate scenarios and act accordingly.

We positively value the management results in a year that fortunately leaves behind a pandemic, but that has had to deal with geopolitical uncertainty affecting the social, economic, legal and technological aspects of our society. On the balance sheet, we believe that we have been able to adapt to regulatory changes and the rapid evolution of society and the economy.

SOLVENT AND CAPABLE ENTITY

In the strictly economic sphere, we obtained a positive result of 56.75 million euros, and we closed the 2022 financial year with the Stabilization Reserve of Professional Contingencies endowed with the maximum amount allowed by Law 31/2022 on General State Budgets for the year 2023. The new limit set represents a disbursement in favour of the Social Security General Treasury of 90.38 million euros, thus contributing to the maintenance of the system and the welfare state. Sustainability that we understand is not only economic, but also environmental, ethical and social, favouring diversity and inclusion, as befits our purpose of being socially responsible through effective public-private collaboration that adds value to working people, companies and, ultimately, society.

INTEGRATED AND EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT

As far as management indicators are concerned, in 2022 Mutua Universal increased the number of workers protected and affiliated by 3.6%, to 1,638,363, as well as 157,985 mutual companies at the end of the year.

This growth has led to an increase in primary care in Mutua Universal centres of more than 10%, a situation that the entity has successfully met thanks to rigorous and committed action. Under a comprehensive, personalised and human health care model that guarantees equity and a high quality of care, without delays or waiting lists. A model that combines face-to-face care provided in our extensive network of our own high-tech training centres with a presence in all provinces, with our own telemedicine system (Online Clinic), implemented in all our healthcare centres, which guarantees access to specialty medicine to our entire protected population, regardless of location. Actions that would not be possible without a clear and firm commitment to technological innovation applied to health, prevention and management. Effort that allows us to develop projects based on artificial intelligence that anticipate and pre-empt situations with the aim of making the best decisions in the provision of the service, increasing the agility of the processes, reducing response times and even anticipating possible needs; or having a robust and agile electronic processing system for procedures, among other initiatives.

Regarding the collection of social contributions, which amount to 1,493 million euros, they have grown 15.45% compared to 2021, partly due to the contribution of Order PCM/244/2022, which develops the contribution rules for the Social Security for the financial year 2022, the continuation of Order PCM/1353/2021, in force since September 2021, which has maintained the coefficient for determining the fraction of quota to be received by mutuals for the financing of functions and activities attributed for the management of the economic benefit for temporary disability derived from common contingencies in 0.06, both on behalf of others (previously 0.051) and on our own (previously 0.055). A figure, however, still insufficient given the increase in work absenteeism, a problem that Spain should now treat as structural.

Today’s complex and rapidly changing society demands equally urgent responses in which all social actors must get involved. Adapting to new realities without compromising future ones, “Acting in the present, thinking about the future”, working towards a transition to a more ethical, sustainable and inclusive productive and social model, which contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, advancing towards a sustainable transformation, with a reinforcement of environmental, social, ethical and good corporate governance (ESG) aspects in our daily management.

FUTURE CHALLENGES

The challenges we face as a society require agile and committed organisations, with a spirit of constant improvement and adaptation. This is how we demonstrated it, in fact, during the pandemic, where in a context of economic and health crisis, with society and the healthcare community on the edge and with an evident lack of resources, Mutua Universal knew how to adapt its management structure, processes and services to offer an efficient response centred on people and the sustainability of the welfare state.

So, we will continue to try. With the support and encouragement of the ambitious Strategic Plan “The people’s Mutual. We collaborate by innovating” and with a vision of the future that marks the lines of action of the entity for the coming years in an increasingly changing, technological, collaborative and sustainable environment. A project in which a diverse group of professionals is participating, with a high involvement of the territorial units and which is nourished by collaborative methodologies based on agility and transversality aimed at promoting the talent of Mutua Universal. Advancing and adapting in all our areas of action. Getting behind technology and investment in human talent and infrastructure with the sole objective of ensuring the health and well-being of working people, from where we contribute to the productivity and competitiveness of companies. Also, to its sustainability and that of the system, in a context of public-private collaboration with the Public Administration that has proven to be effective.

All these actions, resources and services guarantee a personalised attention that our mutual companies and protected and attached population value very positively. This is reflected in the results of the latest 2022 Service Quality Survey, where we obtained a score of 8.54 out of 10, positively evolving in all dimensions of the service, both in the relational field and in management benefits and care in health centres.

At this time, I would like to extend my thanks to all the associated companies, protected and affiliated workers and collaborating consultancies that have placed their trust in Mutua Universal for another year.

A special mention also goes to the nearly 2,000 people, professionals of the entity, who work every day, with rigour and professionalism, so that the Mutual Society is worthy of this task.

To reiterate my everlasting appreciation to Juan Echevarría Puig. Thank you for your invaluable work, commitment and loyalty at the head of the organisation.

Finally, I must thank the Board of Directors and its president, Jaime Aguirre de Cárcer, for assuming the challenge of being part of an entity that contributes to the sustainability of the system through active and effective collaboration with Social Security, for their governance work, administration, management and representation.

Trust is everything.

Thank you very much.