Propuesta de reformas a los prestadores públicos de servicios médicos en Chile: “fortaleciendo la opción pública” / A reform proposal to strengthen public health care

ABSTRACT

Currently, there is no discussion on the need to improve and strengthen the institutional health care modality of FONASA (MAI), the health care system used by the public services net and by most of the population, despite the widely known and long lasting problems such as waiting lists, hospital debt with suppliers, lack of specialists and increasing services purchase transference to the private sector, etc. In a dichotomous sectorial context, such as the one of health’s social security in Chile (the state on one side and the market on the other), points of view are polarized and stances tend to seek refuge within themselves. As a consequence, to protect the public solution is commonly associated with protecting the “status quo”, creating an environment that is reluctant to change. The author proposes a solution based on three basic core ideas, which, if proven effective, can strengthen each other if combined properly. These are network financing management, governance of health care services in MAI and investments and human resources in networked self-managed institutions. The proposal of these core ideas was done introducing a reality testing that minimizes the politic complexity of their implementation.