The small medical insurer, Salud Bolivar, a smaller provider of EPS healthcare insurance in Colombia has made a formal request to the National Health Superintendency to process its voluntary withdrawal from the health system, due to the difficult situation that the sector is going through in the country.
This request for voluntary retirement is in addition to the one previously made by EPS Sura, who announced on May 28 that it was submitting the request for voluntary retirement to the National Superintendence of Health.
With a number of members close to 3,500, this EPS provides most of its services in the city of Bogotá. However, as is currently the case with Sura EPS, the affiliates of this EPS are waiting for the determination made by the Superintendency regarding the future of the company and the users.
“We want to inform you that the procedures, authorizations, procedures, medication appointments and other care will continue to be provided in the usual manner and without any impact, until the withdrawal process has been duly authorized by the National Health Superintendency,” it says in the statement issued by Salud Bolívar.
Salud Bolívar is part of Seguros Bolívar, an entity that in turn is part of Grupo Bolívar, one of the most solid business conglomerates in the country. Whose decision to request his voluntary retirement complicates the turbulence that the health sector is going through and the uncertainty that users certainly feel.
Editors Thoughts
Is this a “Canary In the Coal Mine” Moment for healthcare in Colombia? I have been a part of a total systematic collapse, and I saw the writing on the wall, leading up to the 2008 financial collapse in the United States. Is this the same? No, but I am seeing many similarities, the only difference here is that the Colombian government doesn’t appear fit to take on a healthcare crisis at this moment.
I want to state this for clarity, this doesn’t affect 90% of ex-pats, as most have some sort of pre-paid health insurance, and if you have this private coverage, you will continue to have coverage. This affects Colombian citizens. However, if you are a long time resident here, and plan on staying, this will certainly have an impact on your healthcare premiums in the future.
What is happening here? Only time will tell. I just hope that there is a plan in place to help those who depend on this coverage get the medical treatments that their lives depend on.
