The Comptroller General of the Republic warned that government intervention in the administrative units of the benefit plan had not led to the stabilization of Colombia’s health systemafter evaluating the processes carried out in between 2019 And 2024.
The analysis, which was published in a recent report and is known to Weekly magazinereveals ongoing difficulties in the financial sustainability and operational viability of the EPS, which is subject to official control.
The document shows that 75% of the intervened companies have a performance classified as “medium-low”.without showing significant improvements, despite the support of the state for several years.
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According to the Court of Auditors, this situation reflects structural problems that the measures taken so far have not been able to resolve.
One of the key aspects of the report is the impact on users of the system. More than 29 million peopleequivalent to 58% of the insured populationare currently relying on EPS and are struggling to ensure continuity in the provision of medical services, delivery of medicines and access to specialist treatments. This dependency increases the pressure on hospitals, clinics and other players in the care network.
The systemic risk of the healthcare system is also showing an increasing trendaccording to the econometric model used by the control unit. The likelihood of a general crisis decreased 30% in 2019 for the 49.5% in 2024and could achieve it 60.4% in 2026 if structural corrections are not implemented. For the Comptroller’s Office, these numbers represent a vulnerability scenario that threatens the stability of the insurance company.
The report describes this in detail The debt accumulated by EPS directly impacts the flow of resources to hospitals and clinicswhich limits operational capacity. According to official information The EAPBs owe $9.3 billion to the health network, while in some liquidation processes Administrative costs exceed 50% of available resources, thereby reducing the scope for payment of support obligations.
Another visible effect of the crisis is the withdrawal of important players from the pharmaceutical chain.. The suspension of the service of a pharmaceutical manager for the new EPS is planned for January 2026was linked in the report to the insolvency of the companies involved. Such decisions impact the timely supply of medications and place an additional burden on patient care.
The Comptroller’s Office also evaluated the effectiveness of the control mechanisms applied during the intervention and liquidation procedures. Of the receivables from liquidated companies, only 6.07% were recoveredalthough the majority of them report high levels of adherence to formal plans. For the supervisory authority, this low recovery calls into question the effectiveness of the instruments used.
The financial difficulties also extend to the public hospital networkfor which obligations are still outstanding 770 billion dollars. This amount affects the operation of public hospitals and their ability to respond, especially in regions with high demand for services and budget constraints.
From the pharmaceutical sector, the warnings are consistent with the findings of the report. The Executive President of the Association of Pharmaceutical Research and Development Laboratories, Ignacio Gaitán, stated: “The termination of the services of a pharmaceutical manager for the New EPS does not surprise those of us who have warned about the deterioration of the system. What is worrying is that this is just the beginning.”. The statement was cited in the analysis as reflecting suppliers’ concerns.
Afidro, a union that brings together research laboratories, called on the national government to take over urgent financial solutionscheck the calculation of the Capitation Payment Unit and make sure ordered transitions between operatorsto avoid interruptions in the supply of medication and treatments.
The auditor’s report states that the interventions did not achieve the objective of restoring stability to the systemwhile structural deficiencies in the insurance sector continue to exist. The assessment is based on financial, operational and management indicators, as well as monitoring of entities under state control during the analyzed period.
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