OpinionOpinion
Colombia is one of the Latin American countries that has put everything, from the economic and logistical aspects, to provide well-being and health to its inhabitants. This care has compromised the entire health system, from level I to level IV, in public and private institutions, EPS, IPS, Compensation Funds and other entities that make up the system, yes, the economic effort of the state is noticeable . The analysis of the economic effort of the Colombian health system will be analyzed in this document, taking July 04 as the cut-off date.To give an idea of the medical cost that the Colombian health system has assumed, we could start with newborns, according to the data published by the INS, a total of 109 newborns have been attended from March 1 to July 4, infected with a total medical cost of $ 27.239.790 us, with a number of bed days occupied in the Neonatal ICU area of 10.16 days.The summary of medical cost for the other age groups will be illustrated belowTable1:The total medical cost that COVID19 has produced in Colombia, an estimated value is $ 19.050.561.706 Us, from March 1 to July 4. What can be deduced from table No 1 is that the greatest economic effort is being implemented in the age groups above 50 to 59 (included). For the last age group, the medical cost cost the system almost one billion pesos. Let’s observe in a graph(Graphs 1 and 2):
Table 1: Medical cost ratio (estimated) COVID19 Vs Age Group. Own elaboration.
Graph No 1: Distribution of the COVID19 medical cost by age group. Own Elaboration.
Graph No 2: Distribution of the COVID19 medical cost by age group. Own Elaboration.
The following aspects should be noted:
1. Data on mild and moderate patients were not taken, since
the vast majority were not hospitalized.
2. This medical cost is representing 6% of Colombia’s GDP in
2019, with an aggravating factor, this cost is estimated for the
quarter from March 1 to July 4, 2020.
3. If the EPS were to pool their technical reserves, it would
barely be enough to cover 14% (estimated Vr.) Of the current
medical cost.
4. It should be noted that here in these $ 19.050.561.706 Us
of medical costs, the costs of purchasing ventilators or supplies
that the Ministry of Health gave to its IPS network in the country
are not included.
5. The hospital cost was taken from resolution 914 of 2020,
there the prices to be paid by the EPS to the IPS are defined.
This document has estimated values, that is, they are values
that could be given from mathematical analysis. This document was
analyzed and constructed with the daily results published on the
portal of the National Institute of Health of Colombia between the
period March 1 to July 4, 2020.
