President-elect Gustavo Petro has stated in different scenarios that one of his health reform proposals would include removal of EPS. A trend that has been supported by the Minister of Health of her cabinet, Carolina Corcho, on several occasions.
The leftist leader assured that this would be a very careful transition and would require several investigations to demonstrate its effectiveness. For him, a large part of the EPS in the country have sustainability issues that constantly drive them out of the system. Therefore, an urgent reform is necessary.
(Read: Ministry of Health recommends the use of face masks in closed spaces).
For Elisa Torrenegra, director of Gestarsalud, the union of the EPS of the subsidized regime, there are several challenges facing the health system in the country. However, he considers that they are treatable with certain transformations and should not necessarily be eliminated.
The subsidized regime is designed to guarantee health services to the most vulnerable people. From Gestarsalud they monitor the provision of services, resources, operation and the social aspect.
Currently, there are 24 million Colombians who benefit from this regime, according to Torrenegra. That is why he assures that the union is willing to help the system have a satisfactory evolution improving what is wrong and optimizing what is right.
“We are waiting for a working session with Minister Corcho”, he explained.
Elisa Torrenegra, director of the Association of Health Insurance Management Companies in Colombia
Courtesy
In that meeting, he clarified, they seek to express the situations that arise in the national territory, the difficulties or the impact of some measures and identify the way to correct them. “We are open to what needs to be done and willing to contribute as needed”, assured Torrenegra.
Regarding the new Government, they hope that it will build on what has already been advanced in health issues. The official acknowledges that the country has different challenges in terms of coverage and articulation of actors for system operation.
“If the EPS, the processes that insurers carry out, are finished, who assumes them? We are concerned about how it would be ensured that these processes are managed in a good way by the actor appointed by the new Government, ”she says.
Challenges for the new Government
For Torrenegra, the subsidized regime that operates in the country has important challenges in terms of financing and sustainability because “every time the pressure of patient requests is greater and the system must act in order to guarantee that these services are provided with optimal quality,” he says.
However, the country has problems guaranteeing the sustainability of the system without affecting the number of services being provided or the quality, according to the director of Gestarsalud.
At the same time, he recognizes that the other great challenge is have a better health outcome. “The subsidized regime is a job that requires a lot of articulation and effort. There it is necessary to take into account everything that determines being sick and under what conditions the users are“, He says.
Balance with the Government of Duque
Fernando Ruiz took office as Minister of Health and Social Protection.
Presidency
Finally, Torrenegra highlights that the Ministry of Health of the government of Iván Duque, led by Fernando Ruiz, did a very good job during the pandemic.
(Also: End of the health emergency in the country, what’s next?).
“His capacity for articulation from territorial entities, providers and insurers was very good,” he says.
The official stressed the strategy that was implemented for the vaccination plan and the dignity of poverty conditions.
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