Job Discussion Forums

[Daddyo]

.
.
.
A little off topic, but still relevant to those newcomers who are living and working in Colombia. I keep hearing about Sisben and EPS but my head is swimming. Do they both offer volunary coverage?
.
.
.

[windowlicker]

I'm a little unclear about what you mean by voluntary coverage and I've never heard of Sisben before, but I'll tell you what I know about EPS.

An EPS is a category of health care coverage. Under the EPS system, all Colombians theoretically have access to health care (though in practice it doesn't work this way). It's sort of a combination of government-run and private health care. As a worker, you choose which EPS you would like to provide you health insurance. You go to their clinics for primary care, and they cover your bills according to your coverage plan when you need other medical care. Whenever I have been, the co-pay has been very low ($2,000 pesos), but I don't know how much this varies across the different providers, or according to the services you receive, etc.

Depending on the type of contract you have with your employer, every month I believe you either pay 4% of your salary (while your employer pays an additional 4%), or you pay 8% of your salary (and your employer pays nothing...this would happen under the "prestacion de servicios" contract, which most language schools like International House would be getting for you). This money goes to the government, who then distribute it to the different EPS companies, depending on how many customers they have. Theoretically, any Colombian who doesn't have a job can get assigned to an EPS (I don't think they have a choice of which company the get) and receive health care for free. In practice it doesn't work this way...I suppose in large part due to the absence of EPS providers in rural areas, probably partly due to ignorance and lack of knowledge that this policy even exists, and likely also due to bureaucratic obstacles to being assigned an EPS (especially when you're a displaced person or from a rural area and have never been assigned a cedula/have no proof of identity)

As far as I know, if you are an official employee of a company (are not working under the table and have either a "prestacion de servicios" contract or a regular employment contract) you are required to have health insurance. I am unclear whether or not you still pay into an EPS if you choose a private health care plan...but a private plan would probably be out of your price range unless you are really making the big bucks.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[Cruiser]