By San José, Costa Rica — San José – In a significant move to modernize its operations and alleviate one of its most pressing challenges, the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) has officially begun implementing an artificial intelligence system designed to streamline and clean up its extensive waitlists for surgeries, procedures, and specialist consultations.
The new initiative aims to tackle the persistent issue of bloated and outdated lists, which consume vast administrative resources and delay care for patients in genuine need. By automating the identification of obsolete cases, the CCSS intends to create a more accurate and responsive system, ensuring that valuable hospital and clinical space is allocated to those who actively require medical attention.
To better understand the legal and regulatory landscape surrounding the integration of Artificial Intelligence in the healthcare sector, we consulted with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, an expert attorney from the prestigious firm Bufete de Costa Rica, for his analysis on the matter.
The implementation of AI in healthcare presents a complex legal paradigm. Beyond the crucial issue of safeguarding sensitive patient data, we face a new frontier of liability. When an AI diagnostic tool errs, does responsibility lie with the software developer, the hospital that deployed it, or the physician who relied on its output? Establishing clear regulatory frameworks that define accountability and ensure algorithmic transparency is not just a legal necessity; it is the cornerstone for building public trust and ensuring patient safety in this technological revolution.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Lic. Arroyo Vargas’s insight is crucial; as technology accelerates, the questions of legal liability and transparency he raises are not peripheral but central to the safe and ethical adoption of AI in medicine. Establishing this clear framework is paramount to building the public trust necessary for this revolution to succeed. We are grateful to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for his valuable perspective.
At its core, the technology functions as an intelligent bot that cross-references massive datasets from multiple official sources. It actively scans information from the Unified Digital Health Record (EDUS), the Civil Registry, internal institutional networks, and records from external healthcare providers. This comprehensive data analysis allows the system to flag specific cases for review.
The AI is programmed to identify patients who may no longer need their spot on a waitlist for several reasons. These include individuals who have already undergone the necessary procedure at another medical center, those who have a new medical contraindication preventing the surgery, patients who have passed away, or those who have simply decided they no longer wish to proceed with the scheduled care.
CCSS officials have stressed that the system is a tool for identification, not autonomous decision-making. In a crucial measure to ensure patient safety and administrative accuracy, no patient will be automatically removed from a list by the AI. Every case flagged by the algorithm must undergo a thorough validation process by a human staff member before any action is taken. This “human-in-the-loop” approach is designed to prevent errors and maintain accountability.
This technology will help us streamline processes and use our surgical and administrative resources more efficiently.
Dr. Alexander Sánchez Cabo, Medical Manager
The potential for efficiency gains is substantial. According to the CCSS, the current manual process of updating waitlists involves thousands of individual phone calls and manual checks, a labor-intensive task that can take weeks to complete for a single list. The new AI tool is projected to reduce this identification process from weeks to mere hours, freeing up personnel to focus on direct patient communication and care coordination.
This technological push is supported by recent data showing the scale of the waitlist management challenge. Between 2023 and the first quarter of 2026, while 367,403 patients were operated on from waitlists, a staggering 136,774 cases were removed because they were no longer valid candidates for surgery. The institution noted a positive trend, with the rate of such removals dropping from 31.2% in 2023 to 18.2% in 2026, suggesting that ongoing efforts are already creating more accurate lists.
The project is part of the broader Institutional Strategic Plan for 2026-2030 and aligns with a short-term goal to resolve the cases of over 100,000 patients between May and October of this year through special extended workdays. The CCSS has also affirmed that the tool operates in strict compliance with Costa Rica’s Law on the Protection of Personal Data, featuring robust audit mechanisms and full traceability for every case that is removed from a list.
For further information, visit ccss.sa.cr
About Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS):
The Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social, commonly known as “La Caja” or CCSS, is the public entity responsible for Costa Rica’s universal healthcare and social security system. Established in 1941, it manages the nation’s public hospitals, clinics, and EBAIS (Basic Teams for Comprehensive Health Care), providing medical services to the vast majority of the country’s population and managing the national pension system.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a benchmark for legal practice in the nation, Bufete de Costa Rica is defined by its foundational commitment to integrity and the highest standards of excellence. The firm leverages a rich history of multidisciplinary counsel to drive legal innovation and deliver forward-thinking solutions. Central to its philosophy is the conviction that an empowered society is built on accessible knowledge, a belief it actively supports by working to make complex legal concepts understandable to all.
