NewsWhore
05-30-2007, 02:50 PM
In an address to the nation last night, President Leonel Fernandez announced the postponement of the startup of the controversial universal Family Healthcare System (SFS) for 90 days. At the same time, the President appointed a team headed by Vice President Rafael Alburquerque to oversee the successful startup on 1 September. The proposed health insurance plan had been widely criticized due to a lack of information about the workings of the system itself, and because doctors and medical facilities had not reached any definitions of pay schedules. The President cited the lack of information and lingering doubts about its benefits as part of the reason for the 90-day postponement. According to El Caribe and other newspapers, the main economic and health sectors reacted to the announcement with universal approval. Maribel Gasso, head of COPARDOM which represents management in a broad spectrum of businesses, told El Caribe that the President understood that the lack of information and service guarantees were powerful motives for the delay. Her reaction was echoed by Rafael Mena and Enriquillo Matos, heads of the private clinics' association and the Dominican Medical College, who emphasized the need to guarantee services and provide more information to the plan's intended users.
The President announced that during the 90-day period, efforts would be made to install mechanisms to avoid vertical integration between service managers and providers, avoid monopolies that impede citizens from exercising their right to choose the service producer, ban the sale of pharmaceuticals in hospitals (with the exception of government pharmacies) and create a fund to cover traffic accident victims. He also announced that the supplemental health plans that are sold need to offer different services, and not those already covered by the SFS plan.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
The President announced that during the 90-day period, efforts would be made to install mechanisms to avoid vertical integration between service managers and providers, avoid monopolies that impede citizens from exercising their right to choose the service producer, ban the sale of pharmaceuticals in hospitals (with the exception of government pharmacies) and create a fund to cover traffic accident victims. He also announced that the supplemental health plans that are sold need to offer different services, and not those already covered by the SFS plan.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)