The president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Carlos Díaz, expressed concern over the proposal by the Health Insurance Administration (ASES) to reduce monthly payments to doctors from $18 to $12.60 per patient. Díaz warned that this measure could lead to the closure of medical offices and the migration of health professionals from Puerto Rico.
Under the current scheme, doctors receive $18 monthly per patient, while the proposed change would allow insurers to retain $5.40 of that amount. The College will support former Health Secretary Carlos Mellado in his lawsuit against ASES. Mellado, as a primary care physician, will file the lawsuit, according to Díaz.
The reduction could accelerate the retirement of doctors and make it harder to hire new professionals due to increased operational costs. The average age of doctors in Puerto Rico is between 50 and 60, and they may retire early due to reduced budgets.