Member of Parliament Gino Goeloe is calling for a lasting response to Aruba uninsured care costs, which he says have grown to Afl. 27.2 million.
MP cites a decade of unpaid expenses
Goeloe said the total reflects hospital treatment provided since 2014 to people who were not insured in Aruba, including tourists and undocumented residents. His account, reported by EA News, says earlier attempts to collect unpaid bills from tourists through a United States attorney cost more than they recovered.
The Afl. 27.2 million figure and the history of those collection efforts remain attributed to Goeloe.
Emergency care obligations shape the issue
The lawmaker said Aruba must continue providing emergency treatment regardless of a patient’s insurance status. He argued that the government needs a legal or financial mechanism that protects access to urgent care while preventing uncovered bills from continuing to accumulate within the local health system.
Government-level discussions reported
According to Goeloe, the hospital’s supervisory and executive boards are discussing the issue with the ministers responsible for health and finance and with the prime minister. No final policy or funding arrangement was announced in the report.
