Fecode rejects changes to the Fomag program and calls on teachers to remain on "permanent alert" in defense of Law 91 of 1989 on the right to health.

The Colombian Federation of Education Workers (Fecode) stated its position regarding the conclusions of the Council of Ministers led by President Gustavo Petro on September 15.

The broadcast discussed the future of the National Fund for Social Benefits for Teachers (FOMAG).

During the meeting, the government criticized the current model of teacher health insurance and emphasized the urgent need for structural reform to ensure sustainability, efficiency, and respect for the special teacher regime, according to Caracol Radio.

President Petro denounced the lack of a dynamic fee schedule for payment to providers, which would have generated overcharges, and proposed transforming Fomag into a system with direct affiliation with the Health System Resources Administrator (Adres) , eliminating intermediaries and adopting direct payment to hospitals and clinics.

In response, Fecode issued a statement on September 21, recalling that Fomag was created by Law 91 of 1989 as a special national account to guarantee health and social benefits for teachers.

The administration has been in the hands of Fiduprevisora ​​for 35 years , which is why the union warned that historical criticism of mismanagement should not be used as an argument to dismantle the Fund.

" The teaching profession will not accept any intention to transfer our pensions, severance pay, or healthcare to any entity other than Fomag ," the organization stated in its statement.

In response to allegations of corruption and alleged alliances with lawyers and lenders to embezzle the Fund's resources, made by the President himself, Fecode asked the president to order the corresponding investigations.

If those found responsible were found guilty, he asked that they be punished to the full extent of the law.

Another point addressed in the statement was the financial report presented at the Council of Ministers. According to Fecode, no figures or the current status of the Fund were provided, making it impossible to provide a concrete assessment of the situation.

Regarding pension and severance pay payments, the union acknowledged that payment times have been reduced over the last year , although they have not yet reached optimal levels.

However, he warned that the negative impact on the Fund does not correspond to the teachers, but to the Certified Territorial Entities in Education or to Fiduprevisora ​​itself.

The statement concluded with a call for teachers to remain in a "state of permanent alert" in defense of Law 91 of 1989 and Agreement 003 of 2024.

Fecode stated that this mobilization seeks to ensure the full realization of health and social benefits rights, and reaffirmed that any setback would impact not only current teachers but also future generations.

*This content was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on publicly available information released to media outlets. It was also reviewed by a journalist and an editor.

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