Draft bill 86.

Summary.

The draft bill proposes a Permanent Home Delivery of Medicines Program administered by the Social Security Fund (Caja de Seguro Social, CSS). Its purpose is to ensure timely, safe and continuous access to medicines prescribed by treating physicians of the CSS. The program would provide delivery to the homes of insured persons who request the service through the channels set out in the bill.

The service would be available on a priority basis to patients with chronic diseases; adults over 60 years of age; persons with disabilities or reduced mobility; pregnant women at risk; and patients receiving continuous treatment who live in areas that are difficult to access. The priority applies to these patient groups under the proposed program. Delivery could be carried out by duly authorized CSS personnel or through contracts or agreements with certified courier companies.

Insured persons could request delivery through a web platform established by the CSS, a direct telephone line or a direct medical referral at health centers. These channels would allow requests to be made remotely or through health centers. The provision on delivery identifies who could bring medicines to the home, while the provision on requests identifies how insured persons could seek the service.

The CSS would be required to issue implementing rules for the proposed law within no more than six (6) months of its promulgation. Those rules would establish the program’s procedures and controls, its monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and its coverage areas. Funding would come from the CSS general budget and could be supplemented by extraordinary funds or national and international agreements. The bill therefore assigns the institution responsibility for organizing the service and setting the rules governing its operation and coverage.

The CSS would also be required to submit an annual report to the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) on the program’s implementation. The report would cover service coverage, delivery times, user satisfaction and observed improvements in adherence to treatment. The draft bill provides that its measures would apply without prejudice to the administrative and technical powers of the Social Security Fund. The institution would regulate implementation in accordance with its internal structure, logistical capacity and existing rules. The proposed law would take effect upon promulgation.

The public bodies connected with the proposal are the Social Security Fund and the National Assembly. Its provisions could concern insured persons and patients in the priority groups, health centers, and certified courier companies participating in delivery.