Costa Rica's CCSS and Chile's Maule region roll out primary care and digital health reforms

The Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) has launched a National Strategy to optimize primary‑level care in 15 selected health areas across the country. The plan adds 297 new staff positions, schedules over 24,600 appointments and expands evening and Saturday services, targeting chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

In Chile, the Maule Health Service has introduced a "Hospital Digital" platform that enables tele‑interconsultations between primary‑care teams and specialists. The system, now active in all 30 communes of the region, has resolved more than 3,300 specialist queries each quarter, shortening response times to under ten days and reducing unnecessary referrals. Specialties most used include dermatology, diabetology, geriatrics, nephrology, rheumatology and mental health.