Santo Domingo. – The new executive director of the National Health Insurance (Senasa)Edward Guzmán, stated that, after taking office in August 2025, he found a operational deficit that reaches the 14,700 million pesosa figure that validates the complaint of the Public Ministry in the so-called “Operation Cobra”.
According to the prosecution body, the institution suffered a embezzlement of more than 15,000 million pesos for an alleged corruption network led by its former director, Dr. Santiago Hazimwho along with others involved in the plot fulfills 18 months of preventive detention in Las Parras prison.
During an interview on the program El Día, which is broadcast on Telesistema, Guzmán acknowledged that when he arrived at Senasa he found a “complex situation”, in the Health Risk Administrator (ARS) that offers coverage healthcare to more than 70% of the Dominican population.
However, he highlighted that, in the year 2025, from January 1 to December 31, the entity closed with a positive result of 1,034 million pesos, which translated into a reduction in the operational deficit.
“This operating deficit of 14,700 million pesos already has a reduction of 1,034 million pesos with last year’s result. To date, with preliminary data, obviously, it will have a operating deficit of 13.7 billion pesos approximately,” he emphasized.
Guzmán, who previously served as general manager of the National Social Security Council (CNSS)explained that among the “bad practices” orchestrated by the plot is the “border” manipulationor medical authorization system, through which hospitalization costs and emergencies were recorded using downwardly manipulated averages.
He indicated that, with this action, a under-registration that hid the financial reality of the ARS.
Furthermore, they detected serious practices like the authorization of blank prescriptions and phantom procedureswhich has forced the new management to implement stricter controls which, although necessary, have caused delays up to one hour on current pharmacy authorizations
“We are aware that today an affiliate of Senasa “It can last from 45 minutes to an hour, waiting for authorization, longer than other ARS,” said Edward Guzmán, explaining that the implementation of these new parameters has the objective of preventing more irregularities.
They cancel contracts
Among the measures adopted by the new administration is the dismantling of capitated and prospective payment contractsmodalities that allowed fixed payments to private providers without supervision, to resume payment for services.
According to Guzmán, these contracts involved millionaire sums which totaled 112 million pesos per month in capitated payments for six entities, and prospective payments totaled approximately 60 million pesos.
Other agreements, such as those initialed with the Khersun SRL companies, DELESTE SRL and others linked to the network, were also suppressed from September 2025.
As to Pharmacarda drug benefit platform, whose contract was objected by the Directorate of Public Procurement and Contracting (DGCP) and is indicated by the Public Ministry as part of the plot, Guzmán confirmed that continues to offer services to the ARS temporarily, so as not to affect the delivery of drugs to members, while they work on their own platform for another distribution scheme.
