President Gustavo Petro ordered the liquidation of all bankrupt EPS

Gustavo Petro announced that bankrupt EPS will be liquidated. Photo: Courtesy Presidency

President Gustavo Petro ordered the liquidation of all bankrupt EPS

TL;DR

  • President Petro orders the liquidation of all bankrupt EPS following the shelving of the health reform in Congress.
  • The government will not transfer the accumulated debt of private EPS to the state, citing risks to fiscal stability.
  • The health reform will be reintroduced on July 20th during a new legislative session.
  • Nueva EPS, partially state-owned, will receive payments from the national government to improve its financial situation and exit state intervention.
  • Plans for Nueva EPS include implementing medication auctions, which current interveners have reportedly not pursued.
  • Petro requested investigations into potential irregularities concerning the appointment of interveners in intervened EPS.
  • The government's previous attempt to have EPS function as health managers instead of financial intermediaries was contingent on reform approval.
  • Petro stated that while he wanted to save EPS under a new model, their failure to pass the reform leaves liquidation as the remaining option under current law.
  • The President attributed the insolvency of several EPS to accumulated debt and a lack of technical reserves, not a lack of government funding.