WILLEMSTAD – Family doctors in Curaçao are demanding urgent government intervention to address what they describe as an unsustainable financial situation in primary healthcare. The Curaçao General Practitioners Association (CHV) has called on Minister of Health, Environment and Nature Tyron Boekhoudt to approve a temporary increase of XCG 30 per patient per year and provide written confirmation of the measure without further delay.
The demand was formally presented in a letter dated November 2, 2026, following an extraordinary general meeting held earlier that day. According to the association, both members and non-members unanimously agreed that the current financial conditions facing general practitioners can no longer continue.
Medical specialists during the meeting
In the letter, signed by CHV Chairman Drs. E.L. Jacobus, the association warns that the existing payment structure is no longer sufficient to guarantee the quality of healthcare services.
The doctors point out that a tariff indexation agreement reached in May 2012 has remained unimplemented for more than 14 years, while the operating costs of medical practices have continued to increase.
According to the association, the combination of rising expenses and the absence of tariff adjustments has placed growing financial pressure on general practitioners, making it increasingly difficult to maintain sustainable medical practices.
The association states that further postponement is unacceptable.
Doctors Propose Temporary Increase of XCG 30 Per Patient
As an interim solution, the family doctors have indicated their willingness to accept a temporary increase in the annual capitation payment of XCG 30 per registered patient.
The proposed adjustment would remain in effect for a maximum of two years.
The capitation payment is the annual amount general practitioners receive for providing primary healthcare services to patients registered with their practices.
However, the association has attached an important condition to its proposal.
The temporary arrangement would only be acceptable if the ongoing RAC cost analysis is completed within the same two-year period and subsequently used to establish a permanent and appropriate tariff structure.
The RAC analysis is intended to provide a financial basis for determining the actual costs of delivering healthcare services.
By linking the temporary increase to the completion of this study, the doctors are seeking both immediate financial relief and a longer-term solution to the payment structure.
Written Government Commitment Demanded
The association has made clear that it is no longer prepared to accept indefinite delays.
In its November 2 letter, the CHV demands written confirmation from Minister Boekhoudt accepting the proposed arrangement, together with a concrete timetable for implementation.
The request was made on the same day as the extraordinary meeting, reflecting the urgency with which family doctors are approaching the matter.
The letter does not specify what additional steps the doctors may take if the government fails to provide the requested confirmation.
Nevertheless, the unanimous position adopted by members and non-members indicates broad support within the profession for immediate changes to the existing payment system.
Growing Concern About the Future of Primary Healthcare
The dispute highlights the financial challenges facing Curaçao's primary healthcare sector.
General practitioners serve as the first point of contact for patients and play a central role in preventive care, early diagnosis, chronic disease management and referrals to specialized medical services.
According to the CHV, the continued failure to adjust tariffs in line with increasing practice expenses threatens the ability of doctors to maintain the quality of these services.
The association's proposed increase is intended to provide temporary financial relief while a permanent solution is developed.
However, the letter does not indicate the total number of patients who would fall under the proposed adjustment or the overall financial impact on the healthcare system.
Those figures would be necessary to determine the full annual cost of implementing the increase.
The doctors' demands now place additional pressure on Minister Boekhoudt to clarify the government's position on healthcare financing and the timeline for completing the RAC analysis.
As of the November 2 letter, the association was still seeking written confirmation and a concrete implementation schedule.
For Curaçao's family doctors, the message is clear: after more than a decade without the agreed tariff indexation, they believe further delays are no longer acceptable and that immediate action is necessary to safeguard the future quality of primary healthcare.