Eficacia del decreto 216 de 2021 en la cobertura de los servicios en salud

Abstract

The large scale migration of Venezuelans to Colombia has created major challenges regarding access to healthcare services. In response, the Colombian government implemented the Temporary Protection Statute (Decree 216 of 2021) as a strategy to regularize this population and facilitate their integration into the social protection system. This article analyzes the effectiveness of this policy in guaranteeing access to and coverage of health services for Venezuelan migrants between 2021 and 2024. The central objective is to evaluate the extent to which the Statute has successfully integrated this population into the General Social Security System in Health during this period. The methodology employed was a quantitative approach, with a descriptive design based on a documentary review of official sources, including administrative health records and national surveys. The results show a substantial increase in the affiliation of Venezuelan migrants to the SGSSS (National Health Service), increasing from around one-third of this population with coverage at the beginning of the period to almost two-thirds by 2024, which is reflected in a notable improvement in effective access to health care. Consequently, the main conclusion of the study is that the Temporary Protection Statute has been an effective tool for expanding coverage and access to health care for Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, although challenges persist in achieving universal coverage for this population, particularly among those who have not yet regularized their immigration status.