The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) has successfully rectified what it identified as an unlawful and discriminatory administrative practice concerning health insurance coverage for its diplomatic corps. This reform follows the expiration of a contract dating back to 2018 and the subsequent execution of fully compliant public tender processes.
Upon its administrative review in 2020, MIREX discovered a significant inequity in the existing policy. International health insurance had been improperly restricted to ambassadors and a limited number of minister-counselors, a direct violation of the nation’s Law No. 630-16. This left a substantial portion of foreign service personnel and their families without adequate coverage.
To address this, the ministry initiated a national public bidding process in October 2022. This procedure, conducted in strict accordance with Public Procurement and Contracting regulations, resulted in the contract being awarded to WorldWide Seguros. The company successfully demonstrated the requisite technical capabilities and presented the most economically advantageous offer. This new agreement extended vital health insurance coverage to all members of the diplomatic and consular services, along with their dependents, thereby restoring institutional equity and legal compliance.
With the initial contract set to expire in September 2025, MIREX proactively launched a new tender. Four insurance providers participated in this competitive process. WorldWide Seguros was again selected as the winning bidder after presenting the lowest cost proposal while meeting all quality and service benchmarks. The ministry emphasized that both the 2022 and 2025 bidding cycles were executed with the highest standards of transparency and ethical procurement, ensuring both fiscal responsibility and equitable service provision for all foreign service employees.