EN 
ES What do I do if I am denied or delayed in receiving biopolymer and SMNP services?
It can be activated (preferably in a staggered manner): Right of petition to the EPS (requesting priority agenda, authorisations, referral network, clinical and administrative justification). Complaint to the National Superintendence of Health for barriers to access and health risk. Action for protection if the barrier affects the right to health in a serious/urgent way (for [...]
What is the care pathway you should follow within the EPS?
The EPS must ensure coverage of the diagnosis and treatment prescribed by the treating physician, with a focus on comprehensiveness and continuity, without turning the procedure into a barrier. The care must allow for specialised assessments, examinations, necessary procedures, pain management, comprehensive treatment and continuity, in accordance with the unified rules and their administrative implementation.
Because it is a "cosmetic" procedure, can I be denied examinations, specialists or necessary surgeries?
The benefit cannot be denied despite the fact that it is a consequence of "aesthetic" treatment. Even if the initial procedure was for aesthetic purposes, complications such as pain, inflammation, infections, systemic and psychosocial effects require diagnosis and treatment which are covered by the health system, and therefore [...].
Does the EPS have to cover care for biopolymer complications or for non-permitted modelling substances?
Yes, the Constitutional Court unified the jurisprudential rules and recognised that medical procedures for the removal and management of complications caused by biopolymers or non-permitted modelling substances are included in the Health Benefits Plan, and therefore, must be assumed by the EPS in order to protect health and dignified life (SU-239 of [...]).
What are "permitted" and "non-permitted" modelling substances?
In Colombia, this distinction is used to refer to injectable body fillers that are on the official list issued by the Ministry of Health and INVIMA. Non-permitted" are invasive and injectable substances that do not appear on this list and are used without the proper authorisation from the health authorities.
If I signed a form, is it enough to say that there was informed consent?
Not necessarily. The format is a support, but it is not a substitute for explanation and verification of understanding. The Constitutional Court has pointed out that informed consent protects rights such as health and personal integrity, and has specified that its requirement may vary according to the type of intervention and its impact.
What should an informed consent include?
It should address, at a minimum, the purpose of the intervention, reasonable alternatives, expected benefits, risks and foreseeable adverse effects. It should also include the possible consequences of not carrying out the intervention, and the conditions for follow-up. It should also allow for questions and verify understanding. The Ministry of Health has reiterated that informed consent is a [...]
What is informed consent in health?
It is a right of patients that is related to personal autonomy and integrity. It enables informed decisions to be made about one's own body, physical and mental health. This right is materialised through a process in which the patient receives sufficient, clear and comprehensible information about an intervention in [...]
Can trans and non-binary children and adolescents access health care?
Yes, trans and non-binary children and adolescents are subjects of special protection. In health, jurisprudence has recognised the protection of gender identity rights of minors in scenarios of legal recognition, which reinforces the standard of dignified treatment and non-discrimination in health, so they can access [...].
Can I be denied a procedure because it is "aesthetic" in the process of gender reassertion?
Not automatically. The system must differentiate between purely aesthetic interventions and procedures which, by their purpose and effects, relate to overall health and quality of life. In practical terms, interventions aimed at improving physical appearance according to subjective or social standards are considered to be "purely aesthetic", and as a rule [...].
