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LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

A daily publication Of the dialogue

February 28, 2023

Does Colombia’s Health System Need an Overhaul?

Colombian President Gustavo Petro this month proposed controversial health care reforms. A doctor and patient at Clínica El Rosario in Medellín are pictured. // File Photo: Clínica El Rosario.

Q

  • Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Feb. 13 presented a set of controversial social and economic reforms to Congress focused on the health care sector. The government said the changes would protect workers’ rights, improve primary care, expand access to treatment, raise health care workers’ salaries and address corruption by eliminating private sector management of payments. On Feb. 14, thousands took to the streets in support of the reforms, while the next day, opposition-led demonstrators protested against them. What is the current state of Colombia’s health care system, and what specific reforms would do most to improve it? How would the proposed health care reforms address the issues the Petro administration outlined, and why are they controversial?

A

Anwar Rodríguez Chehade, deputy director of ANIF-Centro de Estudios Económicos: “The current Colombian health system is probably the biggest achievement in social equity over the last 30 years. Before its creation in 1993, health coverage reached less than 25 percent of the population. Moreover, just 4 percent of the population with lower income was insured. In addition, resources were insufficient and badly managed; a good part of the money was lost in corruption. Public hospitals, for example, were not able to fully function year round. Before, health was a privilege for people with enough money to pay for it, while it was delivered almost out of pity to the most vulnerable ones. Today, the current insurance system has nearly universal coverage (99 percent), above regional pairs like Chile (93.4 percent), Mexico (88.3 percent) and Costa Rica (91.6 percent), and it provides financial protection against…”

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The Inter-American Dialogue publishes the Latin America Advisor every business day for a distinguished membership of informed corporate leaders, scholars, and government officials invested in Latin America’s development and future. The Advisor‘s highly regarded Q&A section covers questions submitted by subscribers themselves. Commentators regularly include heads of state, business leaders, diplomats, economists, analysts, and thought leaders from around the world. Many of the world’s largest and fastest-growing companies subscribe to the Advisor. To subscribe, click here. For terms and conditions, click here. For more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.
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Joyce Chang
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Thomas F. McLarty III
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