WILLEMSTAD – The creation of an independent Curaçao Healthcare Authority is one step closer to becoming reality. On July 8, 2025, the Council of Ministers approved a proposal by Minister of Health, Environment and Nature, Javier Silvania, to submit a draft national ordinance to the Council of Advice. This marks a significant milestone in the effort to improve oversight of healthcare costs and efficiency on the island.
The proposed law, titled the National Ordinance on Healthcare Market Regulation, will provide the legal foundation for the establishment of the Healthcare Authority. It is planned that this new regulator will operate within the framework of the existing Regulatory Authority of Curaçao (RAC), which already oversees other sectors.
Formalizing a Functioning Body
Although the Healthcare Authority does not yet formally exist, it has been operating in a preparatory capacity since 2017. In that role, it has already been advising the Minister on issues such as healthcare tariffs and service performance.
The authority will be tasked not only with monitoring the legality of healthcare expenditures, but also with ensuring that healthcare in Curaçao remains affordable and accessible in the long term.
Ongoing and Future Research
In recent years, several cost and efficiency studies have been conducted on key healthcare institutions, including the Curaçao Medical Center, Capriles Psychiatric Hospital, and the Advent Hospital. For 2026, a major study is planned focusing on the nursing, care, and homecare sectors.
The goal of these studies is to produce transparent and evidence-based cost models, which can serve as the basis for setting maximum tariffs across the healthcare sector.
Minister Silvania emphasized that achieving this requires uniform and reliable data reporting from all healthcare providers on the island.
The initiative is part of a broader push by the Curaçao government to strengthen governance, transparency, and sustainability in public services — and marks a pivotal step toward long-awaited healthcare reform.
