The National Council of Private Business (CONEP), the Dominican Medical Association (AMD), the National Association of Private Clinics (ANDECLIP) and the Chamber of Medical Insurers (CADOAR) publicly announced they have reached an agreement that puts an end to the conflict that matched the medical insurers against clinics and physicians. The clinics and physicians feel they are not getting their rightful share of the benefits generated by payments made by employees to medical plans. Medics affiliated to insurance plans are usually paid RD$80 by the insurance companies per each patient seen. The same medics charge their private patients at least three times the amount. The physicians and clinics also complained of delays in collecting from the insurance companies despite these requiring advance payments from companies affiliated to the plans. After several weeks of meetings, the medical insurance companies agreed to revise rates and conditions established in the contracts with the clinics and physicians. The agreements reached were not disclosed in the press. Hoy newspaper, nevertheless, says that the agreement would be announced within the next four months. Insurance companies regularly announce increases in medical plan payments at the start of the year. It can be expected that the medical insurance companies will pass on to consumers part of the settlement they are reaching with the clinics and physicians. The medical insurance plan has worked well for employees, that have access to the best of medical services in the DR for relatively low cost. The announcement was made at a press conference by Celso Marranzini, for CONEP; Luis Eduardo Guerrero for CADOAR; Dr. Luis Fernández Martínez, for the Asociación de Igualas Médicas; Dr. Rafael Mena, for ANDECLIP’ and Dr. Waldo Ariel Suero for the AMD.
