Legislative proposal seeks to make unused medication funds for ARS members cumulative
The deputy for Santo Domingo Oeste, Indhira De Jesús, has formally presented a bill to the Chamber of Deputies with the goal of transforming the management of pharmaceutical coverage in the Dominican health system. The initiative proposes the annual accumulation of funds allocated for medications that are not consumed by members of Health Risk Administrators (ARS).
The central purpose of this measure is to eradicate the current practice where the coverage balance expires at the end of the fiscal year. With this new scheme, unused resources would remain available as an accumulated fund, providing vital financial support for citizens in the face of unexpected diagnoses, chronic illnesses, or prolonged medical treatments that require a larger investment.
Social security cannot be a right that expires every year; it must be a protection that accompanies people when they need it most.
Indhira De Jesús, congresswoman.
Transparency and control in the health system
According to the legislator, it is unfair that workers who have contributed consistently for years, and who have made minimal use of their coverage by staying healthy, must start from scratch when facing a complex health situation. The bill establishes clear guidelines to ensure compliance with this proposal:
- ARS (Health Risk Administrators) must implement an individual registry of unused medication funds for each affiliate.
- The delivery of detailed reports specifying the assigned, consumed, available, and total accumulated amount will be required.
- The Superintendence of Health and Labor Risks (SISALRIL) will act as the entity in charge of supervising and auditing the operation of this mechanism.
Commitment to dialogue and sustainability
To ensure that the implementation of this law is effective, De Jesús has proposed the creation of a technical dialogue table. This consensus-building space would feature the active participation of the National Social Security Council (CNSS), SISALRIL, the ARS, and representatives from the various affiliate sectors.
The congresswoman emphasized that the well-being of the citizen must be the central axis of any reform to the system. In her words, this initiative seeks to protect the most vulnerable sectors of Dominican society, including workers, mothers, and the elderly, ensuring that the resources allocated to their health remain at the service of their long-term well-being.
