improvements in health coverage as measured by access to services is demonstrated in some key metrics such as reductions in unmet health care needs reductions in waiting times for an appointment and increased perceptions of quality by service users figures and respectively as with extension of financial protection improved access to services has mostly benefited the poorest colombians reported unmet health care needs in the past month fell from surveyed in to in compared to and respectively amongst the richest quintile and preventive health care consultations in the months prior to being surveyed rose from of the population surveyed in to in compared to and respectively amongst the richest quintile the vast majority of these health system contacts were in the ambulatory care sector msps a reassuringly only of health system contacts involved complex emergency care andor hospital admissions which suggests that the system as a whole is not adversely biased toward hospital care