The president of the board of the Plaza de la Salud hospital, Julio Amado Castanos Guzman and social security expert Fulgencio Severino have told Hoy that the health intermediaries (ARS) are collecting for services they are not offering. He specifically mentioned the companies are pocketing payments for meds while the “single prescription form” (receta unica) that provides coverage is barely being used. They protested this is happening while the Health and Labor Risks Superintendence (SISALRIL) looks the other way. Guzman and Severino also complained that the ARSs have not contracted pharmacy networks, despite having been paid to set these up and operate these.
Last year, Dominican companies switched their employees to a national health system. So far, employees have been the big losers, as doctors now require higher differentials between what the insurance covers and what they charge. To make matters worse, in many cases physicians and clinics will not accept the insurance plan. The ARS are offering a more supplementary insurance plan to restore the previous levels of medical coverage.