More than a million Dominicans would be affected if private physicians accept the Dominican Medical Association’s call to strike. Dr. Rafael Mena, pesident of the Association of Clinics and Private Hospitals (Andeclip) said that the paralization of medical services at private clinics and hospitals, set for this week, would affect about 1,200,000 Dominicans that are affiliated to private insurance plans in the DR. The private clinics and many physicians have frequently demanded that medical insurance companies increase the moneys paid to them for their services. These, they say, have not been increased in the past eight years. There are three tiers of medical service in the DR. These are: the public hospital system (used by indigent Dominicans and those seeking the least costly of medical services); the medical insurance system (which makes most private medical services accessible at low cost to those employed or individuals purchasing these plans); or the relatively expensive private medical services (these vary in prices going from less expensive at private clinics in low income areas to very expensive (RD$400-RD$1,200 per visit) at private clinics and hospitals. Recently, the Dominican Medical Association sponsored a series of strikes at public hospitals that resulted in Congress passing a bill providing the moneys to fund a 75% salary increase for government-employed medics in a six months time period. Now the same association seeks to get better pay conditions for medics that receive patients affiliated to private medical insurance plans. The medics complain that they are paid only RD$60-RD$80 per patient seen, and that many insurance plans delay up to four months in paying these moneys that the insurance companies collect in advance from companies and individuals. The insurance companies say that they guarantee a large volume of patients to the physicians. Accepting to be part of an insurance plan is voluntary. Several well established and high reputed physicians do not accept patients that want to pay using their insurance plans. In an editorial, the Listin Diario points out this is an option that private physicians have. The newspaper says that if the physician is not satisfied with the service, it does not have to stay affiliated to the plan. The insurance companies offer a service that they do not necessarily have to purchase. The newspaper criticizes the AMD’s decision to lobby for the physicians. The newspaper said the strike would be inhumane and of crime-like nature. It urges the clinics, physicians and AMD to sit down to talks.
