The plenary session of the Seventh Committee of the House of Representatives today turned into a tense debate over health reform. Although it was intended to continue discussing the bill, which in that chamber is already 36% approved, The debate ended up suspended due to a confrontation between the congressmen.
(Read: Chamber has already discussed 36% of the health reform project: this is how the debate progresses)
Despite the pulse of the discussion, some of the articles that were attempted to be voted on were 1, 2, 4, 8 and 44, which by several of the health actors, They are considered among the most important within the text.
It should be noted that, for example, that article 1 is the one that aims to transform the health system, developing a model within the framework of primary care and several other considerations. Likewise, point 2 of the reform speaks of social health insurance, point 4 of the predictive, preventive and decisive health model based on Primary Health Care (PHC), point 8 of mandatory contributions and point 44 of the unique identification of Human Talent in Health.
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According to the representative and speaker of the reform, Andrés Mondragón, An insurance system is being sought that protects the population, with shared operational risk, while the financial risk will be in the hands of the State.. “This is the importance of articles. It is a model that is going to be preventive and decisive,” he highlighted.
However, the questions about the high points of the reform did not wait, since taking into account that these are the most important articles within the transformation of the system, representatives such as Andrés Forero, from the opposition, They detailed that there are still doubts about the points and the articles.
(See: The changes brought by the presentation of health reform 2.0 filed in Congress)
“It was assured that the teachers’ system was going to be the pilot of the reform. Minister Jaramillo managed to make it worse. This is what they want to extend to the 50 million Colombians. I trust that the court will evaluate these situations. It is difficult for me to believe that a Government that has not been able to manage the Pan American Games manages a system of 50 million Colombians”Opined Forero.
For his part, Congressman Mondragón highlighted that within the discussion a correction is being proposed on who to give the financial risk operation to. This taking into account that, in the words of the representative, “By giving the financial risk to private parties, there are now acts of corruption. They did not do efficient financial management. They did not attend because it is always the State that must cover the shortages.”.
(Read also: Technical tables on health reform end: conclusions from the actors in the sector)
In turn, representative Victor Salcedo indicated that today the guarantee of the constitutional right, which is that of health, must be given with a Capitation Payment Unit (UPC) that is determined by a technical body. “We are concerned about financing, which is one of the structural ones. We cannot continue saying that it is poor management of the private sector”, he expressed.
(Read more: Patients file protection for alleged exclusion from the health reform table)
He added that within the debate they seek to improve a proposal that today does not guarantee the solution of the problem that the system is facing. “Here the private sector has been disqualified. In the government’s first proposal, EPS, UPC and integrated networks did not exist. The problem today is called orders, because there is no payment or supplies. We have to approach it responsibly. The financing must be made clear, how the UPC is going to be calculated and the functions of the Adres”, he noted.
Although the plenary session of the Chamber advanced in the debate, a decision by the presidency of the corporation suspended the discussion. This caused it to be paused, so no votes on the bill were defined today, which will be summoned again in the coming days.
(See: They request that health reform be processed as a statutory bill)