Health Care in Colombia - Law 100 of 1993

Law 100 of 1993

The national constitution was reformed in 1991, and with this purpose the general system of social security was reformed with the implementation of Law 100, that extended widely the health coverage to the population, but the economic resources to finance this reform were insufficient, causing collapse of many public health institutions and affecting the income of the medical staff. The law 100 of 1993 is divided into four books:

• First book: About Pension regulations.
• Second book: About the general system of healthcare
• Third book: About Occupational safety and health
• Fourth book: About Complementary social services

The reform of the Colombian healthcare had three main goals:

• The achievement of an antitrust policy, to avoid the statal health monopoly.
• The incorporation of private health providers to the healthcare market
• The creation of a subsidiated healthcare sector, covering the poorest population.

The general principles of the law determine that the healthcare is a public service, which must be granted in conditions of proficiency, universality, social solidarity and participation. The article 153 of the law determines that the health insurance must be compulsory, the health providers must have administrative autonomy, and the health users must have free choice of health provider.