The country’s largest maternity hospital, Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia has become the first public hospital authorized by the government to accept private health providers (ARS) insurance coverage. Some 20,000 births per year take place at the hospital located north of Plaza de la Cultura in Santo Domingo.
Doctors at the hospital were seeing a monthly average of 200-300 patients with insurance, who were given free services like all other patients as the hospital could not bill them because the systems were not in place.
Minister of Public Health Freddy Hidalgo and hospital director Victor Calderon said that talks have started with four private health providers and a letter of intent has already been signed with ARS Futuro, the health provider for the Armed Forces and Police.
Hidalgo described the measure as pivotal. The decision will ease public hospital finances. Hidalgo said that other hospitals would follow, including the Francisco Moscoso Puello, Padre Billini, Roberto Reid Cabral in Santo Domingo and the Jaime Mota in San Cristobal.
http://www.listin.com.do/la-republica/2014/9/10/337096/Maternidad-podra-facturar-a-las-ARS