President Petro stated that the EPS debt would exceed $100 billion.

President Gustavo Petro addressed this Tuesday the report presented by the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) addressing the current state of the healthcare system. Specifically, the report details the debt owed by Healthcare Providers (EPS) to clinics, hospitals, and other creditors.

(Read more: Cesar Gaviria blames the Minister of Health for the system's crisis)

The topic, among many others, was discussed during a presidential address in which the president not only emphasized the outstanding obligations of the EPS (both those that had been intervened and those that had not) , but also the spending and resources allocated to health insurance.

During his speech, the head of state reiterated that the total debt owed by health promoters in Colombia would not be $32.9 billion, as indicated in the regulatory agency's report, but rather exceed $100 billion. This, he explained, was due to the fact that the value of the constant peso as of December 31, 2024, and inflation rates were not taken into account.

"Law 100 and the government officials who defend it have taken at least 100 billion pesos away from the real healthcare system, the one that cares for people: hospitals and clinics," he said.

Along the same lines, Petro noted that the National Government has managed to reduce the debt of the intervened EPSs, excluding Nueva EPS, by approximately 14.4%, which translates into a difference of more than $1.8 trillion between 2023 and 2024.

Now, based on the tables presented by the president, the total debt of the intervened EPS, including Nueva EPS, Sanitas, Famisanar, Asmet Salud, Emssanar and SOS, increased by 3.7% in the same period mentioned above, going from $19,292,796.00 in 2023 to $20,000,648.00 in 2024. That is, a difference of approximately $707.8 million was observed.

(More news: PGN inspected EPS Famisanar headquarters due to increased user complaints)

Healthcare system

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Regarding health spending, the president indicated that it increased by 12.9% between 2023 and 2024. This takes into account that the resources allocated were $78.1 billion in 2023 and $87.8 billion in 2024. "In total, that's practically $10 billion more year over year to expand and improve care."

The head of state also denounced inconsistencies in the EPS's financial reports, questioning the whereabouts of the money. "They say they received $85 billion, and we transferred $87 billion, almost $88 billion. Where did the money go? The difference there alone amounts to almost $2.71 billion, which is missing."

He also defended himself against criticism related to the country's drug shortages. "Lies. We have overpaid 90.3% of what the medicines are worth. So why are there no medicines in pharmacies? That's why people are complaining, and rightly so, because the managers don't deliver the medicines, not the government," he stated.

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Health system accounts

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Finally, the president noted that the Comptroller's report confirms the need to approve the health reform to prevent the system's crisis from deepening.

It is worth remembering that the report presented by the CGR indicates that of the 157 EPS authorized since the entry into force of Law 100 of 1993, only 29 operate today , and only six of them—covering just 10.92% of the total number of affiliates—comply with the required financial conditions: minimum capital, adequate assets, and investment in technical reserves.

The analysis also indicates, as previously mentioned, that these health providers' debt is equivalent to $32.9 billion and that the administrative seizures by the Superintendency have not improved their solvency.

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