What is Colmena Seguros?
Colmena Seguros is a Colombian occupational risk administrator (ARL). It is a commercial insurance company, not a state entity or a non-profit mutual, and is linked to the Fundación Grupo Social, a Colombian organization with an institutional history predating the insurer’s own creation.
It was established in 1994 and began operations in 1995, in the context of the reform that in Colombia gave rise to the General System of Professional Risks, now called the General System of Labor Risks.
The General System of Occupational Risks in Colombia
Decree Law 1295 of 1994 created the General System of Occupational Risks in Colombia, which Law 1562 of 2012 transformed into the current General System of Occupational Risks. Under this system, every employer must enroll their workers in an ARL (Occupational Risk Administrator), an entity that assumes responsibility for the healthcare and financial benefits arising from work-related accidents and occupational diseases.
A distinctive feature of the Colombian model compared to other countries in the region is that Occupational Risk Administrators (ARLs) are overseen by the country’s financial regulator, the Financial Superintendency of Colombia, and not by an agency specializing exclusively in occupational risks. This oversight is exercised over the ARLs in their capacity as insurance companies, along with the other entities in the Colombian financial system.
In addition to insurance coverage, the Colombian system imposes a direct obligation on employers: to implement an Occupational Health and Safety Management System in their organization, in accordance with Decree 1072 of 2015. The ARL (Occupational Risk Administrator) provides technical support for this implementation, but the obligation to have an OHS Management System (SG-SST) rests with the company, not the insurer.
Origin and connection with the Social Group Foundation
Colmena Seguros is linked to the Fundación Grupo Social, a Colombian entity with its own institutional history predating the insurance company. This link places Colmena within a group active in various economic and social sectors in Colombia, of which the insurance company is a part as one of its business lines.
The exact legal name under which Colmena Seguros operates is not consistently found in publicly available sources, so this entry refers to the entity by its trade name, Colmena Seguros, without stating a specific legal name.
Functions and benefits as an ARL (Occupational Risk Administrator)
As an occupational risk administrator, Colmena Seguros provides affiliated companies and workers with a set of services typical of the Colombian system.
- Healthcare benefits. Medical care for work accidents or occupational diseases, including occupational health management and certification of the origin of the contingency.
- Financial benefits. Recognition of subsidies and compensation derived from temporary or permanent disability caused by work-related contingencies.
- Membership and digital procedures. Dedicated membership channels for companies, including micro and small businesses, and for self-employed workers.
- Support in prevention and OSHMS. Tools and advice aimed at helping affiliated companies implement and maintain their Occupational Health and Safety Management System.
Contribution to safety and health at work
Colmena Seguros’ contribution falls within the role that the General System of Occupational Risks assigns to Occupational Risk Administrators (ARLs): to assume the insurance coverage for work-related contingencies and provide technical support to affiliated companies in managing their prevention. It is a contribution of an insurance and technical support nature, not of a regulatory or punitive nature.
The responsibility for implementing the Occupational Health and Safety Management System and maintaining safe working conditions lies with the employer. Affiliation with an Occupational Risk Administrator (ARL) like Colmena does not transfer this obligation, nor does it, in itself, constitute compliance with Decree 1072 of 2015.
Practical application
For a Colombian company, distinguishing between the coverage offered by the ARL and the obligation to implement the SG-SST avoids the common mistake of assuming compliance with preventive regulations simply by being affiliated with an occupational risk insurer.
For a prevention professional, knowing that the oversight of Colombian ARLs falls to the Financial Superintendency, and not to a specialized labor agency, helps to correctly identify who to contact when making a query or complaint about the insurer’s operations.
