Legislators support accumulation of funds for medications in ARS

Lawmakers back initiative to pool unused medication funds

A legislative proposal presented by Deputy Indhira De Jesús, representative of Santo Domingo Oeste, has generated broad support in the National Congress. The bill seeks to ensure that funds allocated for medications that are not consumed by members of the Dominican Social Security System during the fiscal year are not lost, but rather accumulated for the user’s benefit.

The main objective of the initiative is to ensure that the remaining balance can be used to address unexpected diagnoses, chronic illnesses, or prolonged medical treatments, preventing the annual pharmaceutical coverage budget from expiring without being utilized by those who contribute to the system.

Legislative procedure and possible approval routes

The President of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfredo Pacheco, described the proposal as a measure of great interest. As reported, the bill has already been taken into consideration by the plenary and sent to the Permanent Commission on Social Security for its technical analysis.

The bill was referred to the Social Security Commission. In the commission, we will see what treatment they give it, and we could address it separately or together with the Social Security Law reform.

Pacheco indicated that this provision could be integrated into the comprehensive reform of Law 87-01 that the Executive Branch is currently preparing, which is expected to be submitted in the current legislative session.

Voices in favor of the measure

Various legislators have expressed their support for the need to optimize the use of members’ resources:

• Amado Díaz (Deputy): Agrees that accumulation is the ideal path, although he emphasizes that the analysis must be carried out within the global framework of Law 87-01 to evaluate all the factors that impact the system.
• Dagoberto Rodríguez (Senator): Defended the proposal, describing it as fair, especially for young people or individuals who do not consume medication regularly. He proposed the creation of a bicameral commission to expedite the legislative process.
• Alcibíades Tavárez (Deputy): Advocated for a deep and structural reform of the Social Security Law, pointing out that the system requires an urgent update in the face of deficiencies accumulated over more than two decades.

Details of the proposed mechanism

The bill stipulates clear obligations for Health Risk Administrators (ARS). These entities must maintain an individualized and transparent record of each affiliate’s resources, providing periodic reports that detail the amounts assigned, the consumption made, the available balance, and the accumulated total.

The supervision of this new mechanism would fall directly under the Superintendence of Health and Labor Risks (Sisalril), ensuring that the process complies with the transparency standards necessary to protect the assets of the members of the Dominican health system.