In spite of the government’s attempts to start up the Family Health Plan in October of 2005, funding for public health will account for only 1.48% of the GDP in the year’s budget, one of the lowest levels since 1998. El Caribe says that after a slow but steady increase in funding that nearly hit 2% of the GDP, the budget has assigned fewer and fewer pesos to the ministry charged with the public’s wellbeing. In order to implement the Family Health Insurance as called for by Law 87-01, the economy will have to take some large steps forward. The Juan Montalvo Center for Social Studies points out that official expenditures in the health sector have traditionally been very low and irregular, with a completely deficient impact on the general population. Irrespective of the current economic national crisis, the monies assigned to Public Health fell by 36% in 2003 and have remained at those same levels into the budget year of 2005. Vice-President Rafael Alburquerque had announced that in October 2005 the Family Health Insurance would be put into effect, marking the seventh postponement of the program’s startup date. In July, Dr Bernardo Defillo had warned that the health system was on the brink of a total collapse. The Family Health Plan is meant to give medical health coverage to all salaried employees.