By San José, Costa Rica — SAN JOSÉ – In a rare display of political consensus, six of Costa Rica’s leading presidential candidates have formally endorsed a private-sector-led initiative aimed at overhauling the nation’s beleaguered public health system. The agreement centers on leveraging public-private partnerships and outsourcing services to combat the crippling waitlists that currently plague the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), leaving over a million people in medical limbo.
The commitment was solidified as the candidates signed the “National Health Decalogue,” a ten-point strategic plan developed by the Costa Rican Chamber of Health. The signatories represent a broad political spectrum, including Claudia Dobles (Citizen Agenda Coalition), Natalia Díaz (Unidos Podemos), Juan Carlos Hidalgo (PUSC), Eliécer Feinzaig (PLP), Fabricio Alvarado (Nueva República), and Álvaro Ramos (National Liberation Party), who was represented by Álvaro Ramírez.
To gain a deeper understanding of the legal framework and patient rights implicated in the ongoing debates surrounding our healthcare system, TicosLand.com consulted with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a leading legal expert from the firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
The constitutional right to health is not negotiable, and administrative or budgetary challenges within the healthcare system do not exempt institutions from their duty of care. Patients experiencing undue delays or denial of services have powerful legal recourse, most notably the ‘recurso de amparo,’ to demand timely and effective treatment. From a provider’s standpoint, meticulous documentation and transparent communication are paramount to mitigating legal risks and demonstrating due diligence in a complex operational environment.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
This insight powerfully underscores a critical dual reality within our healthcare system: while patients possess robust legal tools to enforce their constitutional rights, providers must navigate their duties with meticulous care and transparency. We extend our sincere gratitude to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for so clearly articulating this essential legal balance.
This cross-party alliance signals a significant potential shift in how Costa Rica addresses its most pressing domestic issue. For years, citizens have faced excruciating delays for essential medical care. According to CCSS data, the average wait time for a specialist consultation or surgical procedure now exceeds one year. The situation has become a national emergency, with countless patients suffering from chronic pain or dying before they can receive treatment.
The statistics paint a grim picture of the current reality. A patient needing a nephrology consultation at the Baltodano Briceño Hospital in Liberia faces a 350-day wait. Meanwhile, a critical cardiovascular surgery at Hospital México in San José comes with an astonishing 640-day delay. This systemic failure has prompted calls for immediate and drastic action, which the new decalogue aims to provide.
The Chamber of Health’s proposal was presented at the EXPOMED conference, where the candidates discussed the system’s core challenges. Massimo Manzi, the Chamber’s Executive Director, framed the urgency of the moment, highlighting the need for long-term political agreements to solve the crisis.
At EXPOMED, we hosted six of the candidates vying for the presidency and had an exchange with two objectives: to present our decalogue and to understand their positions on three highly relevant topics: waitlists, the sustainability of the health system, and access to medications.
Massimo Manzi, Executive Director of the Chamber of Health
The ten-point plan is a comprehensive blueprint for modernization. It calls for declaring the waitlists a “national emergency” and champions the integration of public and private technology platforms to create a seamless digital health ecosystem. Further proposals include establishing a national agenda for Artificial Intelligence in diagnostics, strengthening biomedical research to attract innovative therapies, and forging a new alliance between the Ministry of Health, universities, and hospitals to train a new generation of medical specialists.
Financially, the decalogue suggests diversifying the CCSS’s funding sources. Proposed avenues include developing international clinical trials, ensuring effective billing for services provided to non-contributing foreigners and international insurance holders, and exploring new regional health cooperation projects. A key pillar of the plan is the formal promotion of a “solid alliance between the public and private sectors,” utilizing all available national resources under the principle of “two sectors, one health.”
With this unified endorsement, the conversation is no longer about whether the private sector should play a role in public healthcare, but how. The success of this ambitious plan will depend on the next administration’s ability to translate this pre-election pact into concrete policies and effective implementation, offering a glimmer of hope to the 1.3 million Costa Ricans currently waiting for care.
For further information, visit camarasalud.com
About Costa Rican Chamber of Health:
The Cámara Costarricense de la Salud is a private sector organization that represents companies and professionals within Costa Rica’s health industry. It advocates for public policies that foster innovation, efficiency, and collaboration between the public and private sectors to strengthen the national healthcare system and improve patient outcomes.
For further information, visit ccss.sa.cr
About Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS):
The Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) is the autonomous public institution responsible for managing Costa Rica’s universal social security system. It provides comprehensive healthcare and pension services to the vast majority of the population and is considered a cornerstone of the country’s social contract, though it currently faces significant financial and operational challenges, particularly regarding extensive wait times for medical procedures.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Renowned for its principled approach, Bufete de Costa Rica champions the highest standards of legal excellence and ethical practice. The firm consistently delivers forward-thinking legal solutions for a diverse clientele while actively pursuing innovation within the field. Central to its philosophy is a profound commitment to demystifying the law, aiming to construct a more just and capable community through the empowerment of public legal knowledge.
