WILLEMSTAD – The Council of Ministers has decided that, retroactively starting from August 1, the budget for laboratory healthcare on Curaçao will be directly paid to the Analytical Diagnostic Center (ADC) by the Social Insurance Bank (SVB).
This decision is a response to prolonged financial disputes between the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) and the ADC, which posed a risk to the quality of healthcare.
The Minister of Health, Environment & Nature issued a ministerial decree on Friday, November 3, to implement this decision and thereby ensure the provision of laboratory services.
Under this new arrangement, the ADC will receive its annual healthcare budget of nearly sixteen million directly from the SVB, with adjustments possible based on actual use and prevailing rates.
This step comes after a period of uncertainty regarding pro-forma billing by the ADC to the CMC, and liquidity issues on both sides that resulted in payment delays, endangering the continuity of laboratory services.
The introduction of direct payment of the healthcare budget by the SVB to the ADC aims to address the collaboration problems and create a stable foundation for the future.
Furthermore, this measure will ensure that the quality of care for policyholders remains guaranteed. Additional agreements will be made regarding the billing methodology and compensation for outpatient laboratory services for patients not admitted to the CMC.
This decision marks a breakthrough in a long-standing dispute and is intended to pave the way for an improved working relationship between the CMC and the ADC.