Through a statement addressed to President Gustavo Petrothe Table of Health User Associations expressed its disagreement with the increase in the capitation payment unit (UPC) by 5.6% for this year, considering this adjustment as “insufficient“.
Likewise, he also asked the head of state convene technical tables for “to be able to present the arguments that exist for which we consider that decisions such as the increase in the UPC for the year 2025 is insufficient and puts the health and lives of Colombians at risk.“.
“From the Table of Health User Associations we ended the year 2024 with multiple warnings to the National Government so that the determination of the UPC for the year 2025 should have a technical and not a political basis, unfortunately the decision taken was quite the opposite, apart from the fact that It was done like many previous governments on the last day of the year when many Colombians were focused on sharing the end of the year festivities with our families.“he stated.
UPC
Likewise, they called on the Constitutional Court to “act to protect the right to health and life, which continues to be violated, among other aspects, by decisions such as the insufficient increase in the UPC for the year 2025“.
They also did the same for the Comptroller General of the Republicto the Attorney General’s Officeto the Attorney General’s Office already Ombudsman’s Office so that “contribute to the search for solutions to the serious crisis that the health system has been facing“.
Patients’ arguments
According to user associations, the reasons why the Government made the decision to make this increase “evidences a lack of governance on the part of the Ministry of Health“, and they highlighted several aspects:
First of all, they assure that “aAt the end of 2023, the date taken into account to set the increase in the UPC for the year 2025, the National Government had control through intervention processes of four EPS Emsanar, Asmet Salud, Savia Salud and Famisanar (it was also not the information of these EPS credible)“.
Then they mention that “andThe Ministry of Health was aware of this information throughout the year 2024 through periodic reports and did not warn of this situation to correct it and, on the contrary, let it pass to generate this scenario and make this unfortunate decision.“.
UPC
They also claim that “Unquestionably, corruption has existed in the health sector, unfortunately as in other sectors, but with this argument it is not possible to make decisions that put the lives of Colombians at risk. We must combat corruption without contemplation, with clear inspection, surveillance and control, with transparency, with rigorous and technical decisions, without giving way to demagoguery and politicking.“.
Finally, they pointed out that “The problem of defunding the health system is not exclusively that of this Government, but it has become much more acute, and it is also up to the Government to responsibly seek the appropriate technical and realistic solution, which, unfortunately, has not been achieved. perhaps due to electoral interests of some officials“.
Former Health Ministers speak out
In a letter, 18 former Ministers of Health and Social Protection They also criticized the adjustment made by the Government to the UPC, describing the increase as “irresponsible“.
“The biggest losers will continue to be the users and patients due to the increase in difficulties in accessing the provision of services and the risks they will face to their health and well-being. With this determination, the Health System will continue to languish in the midst of the crisis warned by experts and academics, with the consequent increase in guardianships, increase in PQRS, closures of clinics and diagnostic centers, and temporary and permanent cancellations of medical services.“, they stated.
UPC
Unlike user associations, former ministers They did hold the senior officials of this Government who are in charge of the health sector in the country entirely responsible..
“The only ones responsible for this are those who today hold high positions of government authority within the health system, who have demonstrated a lack of will to solve the challenges it faces and an inability to manage information and achieve its reliability for proper calculation. from the UPC; even more so when they have intervened, for a long time, the EPSs that affiliate 60% of the Colombian population. This fact must be very clear to the country.“.
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