Health care in Argentina

The government maintains a system of public medical facilities that are universally accessible to everyone in the country, but formal sector workers are also obligated to participate in one of about 300 labor union-run health insurance schemes, which offer differing levels of coverage.

Since that time, Argentina's healthcare system has been extensively decentralized and privatized to provide support at the provincial level.

[7][needs update] There is a body within the social security sector in Argentina called "The Superintendence of Health Services" La Superintendencia de Servicios de Salud, which is in charge of setting the minimum coverage package that is included in the health insurance of every single health-care institution.

The public system is highly decentralized, as it is administered at the provincial level; often primary care will be regulated autonomously by each city.

[12] Public hospitals in Argentina who have not converted to managed care principles are facing an influx of patients covered by privatized social security funds.

Public hospitals in the city of Buenos Aires reported about 1.25 million outpatient visits by patients covered by the privately administered social security fund for retired person.

[8] Local Health Secretariats in the provinces and municipalities through the department of purchases in the public sub-sector and individual social works are in charge of the reimbursement of new drugs.

[8] Elderly people face barriers due to copayments, private practitioners' refusal to see them and also because of nonpayment by the social security fund.