The directors of the Conservative, U and Liberal parties, Efraín Cepeda, Dilian Francisca Toro and César Gaviria, sent a document to President Gustavo Petro in which they present five observations on the health reform.
However, the head of state, through Twitter, said that “after several discussions we have agreed on 95% of the health reform, three points remain to be defined. The paper that will be presented to Congress will be finished on Monday”.
The three leaders, who recently met with the president to discuss the issue, in the document request that the seven territorial funds of the ADRES contemplated for its creation be eliminated from the reform proposal.
Regarding the Health Promotion Entities (EPS), they indicate that they would become health management entities, while the Government insists that they be transitory.
The political leaders propose that the managers who fulfill their functions can remain within the health system.
In another objection, they point out that health managers must have a fixed administration amount of 5% of the Capitation Payment Unit (UPC). Currently this amount is 10% for the contributory regime and 8% for the subsidized regime.
In the same way, they request that the multidisciplinary teams that are going to be created for patient care be in both the public and private systems.
Likewise, the parties propose that the health insurance of the public system have the same technical capacity as the private system and that the free choice of users be guaranteed.
The U, Conservative and Liberal parties raised 20 points a few days ago that contained modifications to the project filed, the Government reached an agreement with the parties to accept them and since then dialogues have been taking place to finalize the presentation.
The document was released at a time when Petro assured that the health reform is 95% agreed and that next Monday, March 27, a paper would be ready for the first debate in the Seventh Committee of the House of Representatives.
According to what was said, yesterday there was a virtual meeting between the presidents of the three parties in which they analyzed how the dialogue process with the Government is going to land their proposals for modification in the presentation.
According to what had been agreed in the meetings, there are four points that will be modified: mixed care system, elimination of funds, an interoperable information system and that the service rates have a floor and a ceiling.
However, there are points of the initial reform that are maintained and supported, such as primary care, care in remote areas, extramural care groups and improvements for health talent.
According to the Minister of Health, Carolina Corcho, who defends the reform “by tooth and nail”, there are three proposed changes:
The public management of the public resources of the health system, which historically has been in charge of private entities,
The creation of the National Health Council for the discussion of public policies in this area.
The implementation of a primary health care program to ensure that the system operates based on prevention.