In Colombia, an increase in medical costs is expected for the year 2024, by around 12.4%, according to projections from the firm AON.
This increase is part of an international trend of escalating prices in the health sector, exacerbated by a global inflationary environment and technological advances in medicine. In addition, the uncertainty generated by the proposed reform of the Colombian health system, which will be debated in the Senate this month, could further complicate the situation.
“The rates reported here represent percentage increases in the unit costs of medical plans, which will be driven by price inflation, technological advances in the medical field, plan usage patterns, and program cost shifting. social”, is highlighted in the AON report.
Likewise, they added that “the health system is going through a scenario of definancing of the sector, due to the insufficiency in the definition of the Capitation Payment Unit (UPC), as stated by the unions and Thinking Centers, adding to the delays in payments to the EPS for the Maximum Budget.”
This firm bases its forecasts on a global increase in medical costs, highlighting that for Latin America and the Caribbean the expected increase is 11.7%. It is important to highlight that these calculations take into account the inflation projections of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which are 4.2% for 2023 and 5.4% for 2024. This growth in costs represents considerable pressure for the system. health of the country, which already faces challenges of financing and adaptation to global economic fluctuations.
The Así Vamos en Salud think tank pointed out the urgency of identifying new sources of financing for the Colombian health system, in order to adequately manage the impact of these increases in the medium and long term. The implementation of the Capitation Payment Unit (UPC) has been the subject of serious criticism for its alleged insufficiency in guaranteeing the necessary resources, added to the delays in payments to the EPS due to the limitations of the Maximum Budget. These factors contribute to a scenario of definancing that could worsen with the expected increase in costs.
For his part, Mario Cruz, technical vice president of the Colombian Association of Comprehensive Medicine Companies (Acemi), expressed to Portafolio his concern about the impact of increased costs on basic and voluntary health plans, which could translate into a greater financial burden both for the public coffers and for the pockets of Colombian families and companies.
The economist and health expert, Paúl Rodríguez, from the Universidad del Rosario, stressed that although Colombia is not the only country facing this challenge, the escalation in medical costs is a trend that is observed both regionally and globally. Rodríguez points to supplies and medicines as the main factors behind this increase, highlighting the search for strategies to mitigate the impact on public health.
“The main reason is the supplies, especially medications. Consequently, all countries are looking for strategies to minimize spending, trying to ensure that the impact on health is as little as possible,” the specialist assured the aforementioned media.
The upcoming discussion in the Senate on health reform in Colombia raises a wave of uncertainty regarding the financial stability of the country’s health system, while experts warn about the possible negative impacts of cost increases and complications in the provision of services.
Entities such as Así Vamos en Salud point out that the adverse macroeconomic context could translate into inadequate and delayed care for the population, especially for those who require care for chronic or high-cost diseases.
Along these lines, the importance of having a clear vision of the fiscal scenarios for the implementation of this reform is highlighted, which proposes significant structural changes and a transition regime that would require additional resources. The academic from the Universidad del Rosario emphasizes that beyond seeking a reduction in the impact of health spending, the reform would imply a definancing of the system, sacrificing the quality of the service at the cost of the lives of patients.
“The current form of containment is through defunding the system. It may be possible to contain it, but at the cost of deaths,” Rodríguez emphasized.
Mario Cruz, another spokesperson on the subject, mentioned that the uncertainty generated by the reform has increased the demand for health services, leading to higher accident rates. This situation could lead to a financial crisis, materializing in technical losses, financial problems, increased debts and failures in the provision of services. “We are already there,” Cruz warns about the current critical condition of the health system in Colombia.
“For this reason, a financial crisis scenario manifests itself in technical losses, asset defects, increased debts and problems in the provision of services. We are already there,” he told Portafolio. With Infobae
