How does the healthcare system work in Argentina?

Argentina’s healthcare system is decentralised, meaning that primary healthcare is often managed independently by each city.

While most cities have generally good public care, the quality may vary from region to region. Argentina’s medical system is divided into three main sectors: public, social security, and private.

Public sector

For the public sector, all medical appointments, hospital visits, palliative care, dental care emergency medical transport, prosthetics, and rehabilitation services are free of charge. Charges are only placed on prescriptions, and these are usually subsidised.

Social security sector

The social security sector (OS) is used by formal sector workers who participate in one of the 300+ union-run health insurance schemes.

These schemes are monitored by the national health insurance administration and outsourced to private providers. Employers pay fixed fee contributions from employers depending on their level of coverage.

However, each OS must guarantee minimum coverage for medical, diagnostic, preventative, maternity, and dental care. The patient also has the responsibility to cover the difference between the OS coverage and the final bill for treatment.

Private sector

The private healthcare sector caters for about 5-9% of the Argentinian population. Private sector insurance must provide a minimum of the same benefits as the OS sector.

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Pros and cons of using Argentina’s healthcare system

Pros

• Non-residents do not require any special documentation or registration to get access to the public healthcare system. You’re only required to carry your local identification such as a residency permit.
• Public healthcare is inexpensive. You’re only required to pay for prescriptions, which are also subsidised.
• For private healthcare, you don’t require a lot of paperwork to register. Only a piece of personal identification, such as a passport, is all that’s needed.

Cons

• For public healthcare, waiting times can be painstakingly long.
• It may be difficult to find English-speaking medical staff in some locations.
• For private health insurance in Argentina, most facilities may require you to pay upfront and get reimbursed through your insurance provider, so you may need to bring along your credit card to access medical care.