Bolivia Info
Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 16
Home Country: bolivia
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 Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:24 am Post subject: HEALTHCARE IN BOLIVIA / BOLIVIA HOSPITAL GUIDE |
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HEALTHCARE IN BOLIVIA
OVERVIEW
Introduction to Bolivia's healthcare Services
Bolivia has a land area of 424,165 square miles/1,098,581 sq km, which is more than the size of France, and Spain combined. With only 8.3mn people in such a large country the population density is very low.
Since 1987, the social security system has been divided into two areas of operations, long term (seguro a largo plazo) and short term (seguro a corto plazo). The long-term area covers old-age pensions, death and permanent disability arising from both occupational and non-occupational accidents and sickness, and the short term area covers public healthcare, maternity and temporary occupational disability. Benefits are considered to be low.
The contributory social security system covers all employed persons and those self-employed who contribute voluntarily. A free non-contributory service is given to children under the age of five (basic health service - seguro basico de salud) and to adults of 60 and over (free service for the elderly - seguro gratuito de vejez). These and other limited free services are financed directly by the central government or the municipalities, although the expenditure is very modest. The World Bank reports that it is less than 1% of GDP.
The main benefits are:
* old age pension
* death and permanent disability
* temporary disability
* healthcare
* maternity
Expatriates
Since 1997 expatriates are covered by the Bolivian pension scheme and have to make contributions. Prior to this foreign nationals were exempt if they could prove that they contributed to an official pension fund in their country of origin. Expatriates' employers are not obliged to make obligatory contributions for them for short-term social security i.e. healthcare.
All employers make an obligatory 10% contribution to the National Health Fund (Caja Nacional de Salud), which provides hospital and healthcare services to workers, their spouses, and children under the age of 15. In some circumstances the service may be extended to the worker's parents, brothers and sisters. The self-employed may contribute voluntarily to the Caja Nacional de Salud.
The public health system upon which the vast majority of the population depends suffers from serious under funding, poorly trained staff and the traditional Bolivian problem, that of excessive bureaucracy. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that water supplies and sanitary facilities are very poor and often primitive. Malaria is a major problem in the tropical departments of Pando and Beni while chagas disease is endemic among adobe hut dwellers and tuberculosis is also found.
As far as public healthcare is concerned, the regulations permit employers as well as employees to opt out of obligatory affiliation to the National Health Fund (Caja Nacional de Salud) and to make approved alternative arrangements with private insurers.
Bolivians who can afford it take out private healthcare insurance and gain access to the private clinic system, which supports it.
A typical healthcare insurance product is included in a package, which covers accidental death or permanent disability in addition to hospitalisation, and ambulance expenses and specific cover for maternity and dentistry for the insured and dependents. Medication may or may not be covered.
Group Private Medical Schemes
Employers are already contributing 10% of their monthly wage roll on an obligatory basis to the Caja Nacional de Salud or to sectored funds, and many feel that they cannot afford the additional expense involved in taking out private healthcare insurance for their workers, even the more senior among them.
DIRECTORY OF HOSPITALS & CLINICS
Centro Medico CEMES
Ave. 6 de Agosto 28-81
Esquina Clavijo
La Paz
Bolivia
Tel: + 591 2 24 30 380
Fax: + 591 2 24 31 793
Centro Medico Foianini
Calle Chuquisaca 737,
Santa Cruz, SRZ
Bolivia
Tel: +(591-3) 332-8181
Fax: +(591-3) 337-6666
Centro Medico Quirurgico Boliviano Belga
Calle Antezana Nro 455
Cochabamba
Bolivia
Tel: + 591 44 22 9407
Fax: + 591 44 11 7215
Email: info@cmqbb.com
Website: http://www.cmqbb.com/
Clinica Alemana
Av. 6 de Agosto 2821
La Paz
Bolivia
Tel: + 591 2 24 32 155
Fax: + 591 2 24 33 023
Clinica Angel Foianini
Avenida Irala 468 esq Chuquisaca
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Bolivia
Tel: + 591 3 362 211
Fax: + 591 3 365 577
Clinica Boston
Av Jaime Freyre esq Ricardo
La Paz
Bolivia
Tel: + 591 2 422 342
Clinica Sucre
Av Venezuela 1001
Sucre
Bolivia
Tel: + 591 46 21535
Clinica Urbari
Calle Igmiri 555,
Barrio Urbari,
Santa Cruz, SRZ
Bolivia
Tel: +(591-3) 353-4000
Fax: +(591-3) 353-7882
Hospital San Vicente de Paul
Calle Baptista N-0541,
Cochabamba, CBB
Bolivia
Tel: +(591-4) 425-3353
Fax: +(591-4) 425-4321
Hospital Universitario Japones
Avenida Japon 50,
Santa Cruz, SRZ
Bolivia
Tel: +(591-3) 346-2031
Fax: +(591-3) 347-2190
Website: http://www.hospitaljapones.org.bo/
Prosalud Clinic
Avenue Isabel la Catolica 810
PO Box 1231
Santa Cruz
Bolivia
Tel: + 591 3 533 820/525 031
Fax: + 591 3 526 823 |
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