As of 2016 life expectancy in the Republic of Colombia was 79 years for women and 72.6 years for men. Colombia’s long life expectancy is complemented by relatively low infant mortality before the age of five, at 15.9 in 1000 births. Colombia’s good health can be partly attributed to the Sistema General de Seguridad Social en Salud, or General System of Social Security in Health (GSSSH), launched by the Government of Colombia in 1993. The GSSSH is managed by the Ministry of Social Protection with the National Health Regulation Commission providing a regulatory role and the National Health Authority responsible for the management of health facilities.
The GSSSH is a contributory scheme that provides health coverage to all employed persons, retired persons and their dependents residing in Colombia. The GSSSH is complimented by, and co-finances, the Solidarity Guarantee Fund, which subsidizes coverage for older persons, students, the poor and others who are not covered under the contributory scheme. The contributory scheme is open to all, but is compulsory only for those employed in the formal sector and self-employed persons earning a minimum monthly salary of USD 280. Members of both schemes are entitled to a basic health care package while members of the contributory scheme are entitled to more comprehensive services including inpatient and outpatient care, paid maternity leave and sick leave. Claimants of the subsidized scheme are entitled to basic care and full coverage for serious illness. In order to access non-contributory benefits, claimants must register with municipal authorities and seek approval via a proxy means test. In 2010 the GSSSH reached 90 per cent of Colombian residents.
The GSSSH represents a move toward the increased integration of health schemes in Colombia and has encouraged the negotiation of health care costs between public and private service providers, and provides the option for claimants to select their insurance provider. This integrated approach has increased overall access to health services, especially through the subsidized systems. However, challenges still remain in the portability of entitlements for internal migrants. These investments in social services in Colombia are essential for building a social protection floor to ensure that all in need have access to essential health care services, including temporary residents and migrants.
Further Reading:
- International Labour Organization (2011). Sharing Innovative Experiences: Successful Social Protection Floor Experiences.
- Accessed from http://www.ilo.org/gimi/gess/RessourceDownload.action?ressource.ressourceId=24369 on 13 November, 2013.
- Alternative resource accessed from http://www.cepal.org/en/publications/social-protection-systems-latin-america-and-caribbean-colombia on December 2016.