The Colombian health system is going through a period of uncertainty on behalf of Health Promotion Entities (EPS) that have decided to step aside and request their voluntary withdrawal. Added to this is the unsuccessful attempt by the national government to make changes to the current system.
The EPS Sura, Compensar and Salud Bolívar were joined by Cajacopi, which requested the withdrawal of its services in 91 municipalities to strategically focus on the regions where they are “strongest.”
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Although not all health entities are in the same situation, claims and complaints about poor service in some EPS continue to be the “daily bread.” This was made known by actress Juliana Galvis through her personal X account, in which she expressed that she recently He had a medical appointment at his prepaid medicine service and had a bittersweet taste due to the amount of disagreement among the patients.
Galvis listed several complaints that he could hear from other users and criticized the lack of “commitment” on the part of the EPS and its professionals. “That the doctor has already left, that there is no one to do the therapy, that she waited 2 hours for arriving 5 minutes late, that they cannot treat her today… these are some cases that I have seen today during my waiting time at @ColmedicaCol. “There is no right to lack of commitment and responsibility!” wrote the former participant of MasterChef Celebrity Colombia.
The woman from Santander emphasized that one of the shortcomings of her prepaid EPS (Colmédica) is the medical team that cares for users. “It’s a shame that prepaid companies like @ColmedicaCol are lately full of doctors for whom the clients, who are actually patients, matter zero.”
Some users and followers agreed with the poor service provided by some EPS and prepaid medicine services, however, They reproached the actress for supposedly wanting to justify the irresponsibility of those users who arrive late for their medical appointment.
“That’s why they say it’s important to arrive 20 or 30 minutes early, how difficult is it for you?”; “Waiting 2 hours for being late even if it is 1 minute doesn’t seem bad to me, they give you a solution first and don’t just tell you that you missed the appointment”; “No shit, if you were late you can’t complain, they normalize lateness and complain. In Germany they send you to fry asparagus if you are late for anything. But for that we do have to be more Colombian and normalize these things”; “You have to keep your appointments! 20 minutes before is what it should be (sic)”, were some reactions in this regard.
The Health Superintendency released the first findings following the intervention of EPS Sanitas, carried out in early April, due to its inability to comply with key indicators such as technical reserves and minimum capital.
Luis Carlos Leal, Superintendent of Health, pointed out in a video on social networks an increase in operating expenses without justification. He indicated that Sanitas, with more than five million members, had expenses of $104,000 million in medical centers and hospitals, investments that correspond to the Health Service Providing Institutions (IPS) and not to the EPS. Leal highlighted that this represents a case of vertical integration, assuming costs that are not Sanitas’ responsibility.
He also said that 64 lease contracts were found with an annual cost of $56 billion and improvements worth $800 billion in real estate.. Regarding health service contracts, 76% were carried out “per event”, a modality criticized for encouraging a greater volume of procedures instead of focusing on the quality of services.
Supersalud’s intervention at EPS Sanitas revealed that the health provider is restricted in the management of medications, due to an exclusive contract signed with a logistics operator for fifteen years. This situation prevents the EPS from supplying, dispensing or supplying medications to its members directly or through other suppliers, unless the contractor temporarily allows it.
