The contributory scheme
- System and programme
It is the way to enrol for people who can pay: employees, pensioners and self-employed people who contribute and cover their family.
What it is
The contributory scheme groups the people who join the SGSSS by paying a contribution, alone or together with their employer. Mandatory members are employees with a contract, public servants, pensioners and self-employed workers able to pay. Enrolment covers the family: the contributor registers beneficiaries, who receive the same plan without paying separately.
How it is organised
- The employer enrols the employee and pays its share together with the employee's contribution.
- Self-employed people able to pay enrol and contribute on their own income.
- Pensioners are also contributors to the contributory scheme.
- The EPS registers the family group; a newborn becomes a beneficiary of the EPS where the mother is enrolled.
Worked example
- A made-up engineer signs her first work contract: the employer enrols her with the EPS she chooses in the contributory scheme.
- She is the contributor; she registers her permanent partner, who does not work, and her 3-year-old daughter as beneficiaries.
- All 3 members of the family group receive the same benefits plan from a single contribution.
- If she loses her job and cannot pay, she can move to the subsidised scheme under the mobility rules, without changing EPS.
Who belongs to the contributory scheme
| Group | How they take part |
|---|---|
| Employee with a contract | Contributor; pays together with the employer |
| Public servant | Contributor |
| Pensioner or retiree | Contributor on their pension |
| Self-employed worker able to pay | Contributor on their income |
| The contributor's family | Beneficiaries: they do not pay separately |
Markers
- Contributor
- Beneficiary
- IBC
- Family coverage
In practice
- Enrollees and beneficiaries are subject to user fees (cuotas moderadoras and copayments), which under Law 100 may never become access barriers for the poorest.
- The contributory scheme pays its contributors sick leave for general illness and maternity leave (Law 100, articles 206 and 207).
Reference norms
- Law 100 of 1993, articles 157, 163, 187 and 202 to 207.
- Law 1438 of 2011, article 33: presumption of ability to pay.
- Decree 780 of 2016: enrolment, updates, transfers and mobility between schemes.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Who are the mandatory members of the contributory scheme under Law 100?
Employees with a contract, public servants, pensioners and retirees, and self-employed workers able to pay.
What is the difference between a contributor and a beneficiary?
The contributor pays the contribution; the beneficiary is a family member registered by them who receives the same plan without paying separately.
Which family members can be beneficiaries?
The spouse or permanent partner, children who meet the age and economic dependency conditions and, failing these, parents who depend on the enrollee.
What happens with the EPS if a contributor loses the ability to pay?
They can move to the subsidised scheme through mobility, without changing EPS, if they meet the conditions.
Connections
Educational content on epidemiological and statistical methods; the examples use made-up numbers to teach the calculation. Not a clinical or legal guide: current Colombian rules are in the official sources.
Sources: Ley 100 de 1993 (Departamento Administrativo de la Función Pública, Colombia (Gestor Normativo), 1993); Ley 1438 de 2011 (Departamento Administrativo de la Función Pública, Colombia (Gestor Normativo), 2011); Decreto 780 de 2016 Sector Salud y Protección Social (Departamento Administrativo de la Función Pública, Colombia (Gestor Normativo), 2016).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.