Integrating Venezuelan Migrants into the Colombian Health System during COVID-19

Colombia provides a unique setting to understand the complicated interaction between health systems, health insurance, migrant populations, and COVID-19 due to its system of Universal Health Coverage and its hosting of the second-largest population of displaced persons globally, including approximately 1.8 million Venezuelan migrants.

This study surveyed 8,130 Venezuelan migrants and Colombian nationals across 60 municipalities using a telephone survey during the first wave of the pandemic (September through November 2020). Using self-reported enrollment in one of the several Colombian health insurance schemes, access to and disparities in the use of health-care services for both Colombians and Venezuelan migrants were analysed. Compared with 3.6% of Colombians, 73.6% of Venezuelan telephone survey respondents remained uninsured, despite existing policies that allow legally present migrants to enroll in national health insurance schemes. Enrolling migrants in either the subsidised or contributory regime increases their access to health-care services, and equality between Colombians and Venezuelans within the same insurance schemes can be achieved for some services.

Colombia’s experience integrating Venezuelan migrants into their current health system through various insurance schemes during the first wave of their COVID-19 pandemic shows that access and equality can be achieved, although there continue to be challenges.