NewsWhore
05-14-2007, 04:50 PM
On Friday, the Dominican Medical Association (CMD) and the Association of Private Clinics (ANDECLIP) withdrew from the Family Health Insurance Plan (SFS) and thoroughly confused the entire issue. This development forces the Superintendent of Health to withdraw from his former position and renounce his intention to set fixed doctor's fees at the clinics. CMD president Dr. Enriquillo Matos told Diario Libre reporters that the population could not be guaranteed adequate health care through the plan since the doctors themselves had not been included in the discussions. Matos reminded reporters that President Fernandez had announced a meeting with the CMD for last week, but the meeting never took place. On the other hand, contracts have been sent to public and private medical facilities stating that the fee for medical consultations will be RD$186. The doctors are asking for RD$400.
On Saturday, the Minister of Public Health announced that the Family Health Plan would begin on 1 June and that any difficulties encountered would be taken care of as things progressed. Bautista Rojas Gomez said that there "were a lot of things that needed to be looked at in order to provide patients with adequate care". Sunday's El Caribe newspaper reported that private health insurance programs would try to stop the government from collecting quotas for the SFS, which is yet to begin functioning.
According to ANDECLIP president Rafael Mena "it is not fair to deduct money from paychecks for services that are not even being offered and which are not yet defined." Most employees reject the 2.7% deductions from their salaries, beginning this fortnight, supposedly destined to fund the SFS system.
Today's Diario Libre reports that uncertainty about the SFS reigns, and tomorrow employers are supposed to begin making deductions. The newspaper points out that primary care centers will be obliged to treat patients as from tomorrow, despite the fact that the SFS has not yet established which health centers are taking part. Vice-President Rafael Alburquerque is holding a meeting today to mediate the stalled talks between the public health officials and the National Council for Social Security. Meanwhile, ANDECLIP and the CMD have pulled out of the program.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
On Saturday, the Minister of Public Health announced that the Family Health Plan would begin on 1 June and that any difficulties encountered would be taken care of as things progressed. Bautista Rojas Gomez said that there "were a lot of things that needed to be looked at in order to provide patients with adequate care". Sunday's El Caribe newspaper reported that private health insurance programs would try to stop the government from collecting quotas for the SFS, which is yet to begin functioning.
According to ANDECLIP president Rafael Mena "it is not fair to deduct money from paychecks for services that are not even being offered and which are not yet defined." Most employees reject the 2.7% deductions from their salaries, beginning this fortnight, supposedly destined to fund the SFS system.
Today's Diario Libre reports that uncertainty about the SFS reigns, and tomorrow employers are supposed to begin making deductions. The newspaper points out that primary care centers will be obliged to treat patients as from tomorrow, despite the fact that the SFS has not yet established which health centers are taking part. Vice-President Rafael Alburquerque is holding a meeting today to mediate the stalled talks between the public health officials and the National Council for Social Security. Meanwhile, ANDECLIP and the CMD have pulled out of the program.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)