Family Insurance (SFS)

[NewsWhore]

The Seguro Familiar de Salud (SFS) begins today but several press reports indicate that the SFS still has no agreement in place with doctors or with the companies that are providing services for the Plan, which is due to go into full swing on 1 July. The National Social Security Council (CNSS) has an official meeting scheduled for today where they will begin invoicing payments for the new insurance policy, equivalent to 8.6% of worker's salaries, of which 6.2% will be provided by employers and 2.58 will be provided by employees. As of today the authorities have a 30-day period to come up with "satisfactory" agreements with the service providers (doctors, nurses, laboratories), including 236 private clinics that will serve as Primary Care Centers (CAP) to resolve the remaining issues with the Plan. According to statistics from the Dominican Social Security System, 13% of workers have private insurance, 6.5% are insured under the Dominican Social Insurance Institute (IDSS), and 2% are insured under the Armed Forces insurance. Through the new system, four million poor and very poor Dominicans will be entitled to services at any of the country's 156 state hospitals.

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