Here are the latest developments in a matter affecting 2,000 Expats who participate in the EC healthcare program under IESS, plus Serial Expats who have been anticipating enrollment....
The administrator of Ecuador's largest IESS hospital was replaced on Friday, and Presidente Rafael Correa made a surprise visit there this weekend. He then announced that top-to-bottom change is needed at IESS. (Source: Cuenca High Life website)
He spoke in depth about the IESS situation in his weekly presidential address to the nation on Saturday.
El Presidente indicated that higher health-care premiums could be on the way...and said he will consider nationalizing some private clinics that have refused to assist IESS patients.
These developments follow the recent investigation into mismanagement, earlier reported, at IESS's Teodoro Maldonado Carbo Hospital in Guayaquil.
Also these items from the presidential address:
-- He is drafting legislature to address the "crisis" and will present it to the EC Assembly.
-- He said that though a full accounting is not yet in, the IESS system (which involves more than health care) is running hundreds of millions of dollars in the red.
-- He said that in 2014, the Maldonado hospital used only 63 percent of its $190-million budget, and the results have been "tragic," including long waiting times to provide care to patients, due to poor organisation and operational problems.
-- He said there is "inefficiency and corruption" in IESS's relationship with some private healthcare providers who apparently refused patient intake based on low IESS reimbursement rates.
(This story is now being widely reported by news outlets that cover Ecuador. Details in this post are from the report at Cuenca High Life:
cuencahighlife.com)