A Look at the Health Care System in Argentina

If you will be moving abroad to South America to live in Argentina for any period of time you will want to be knowledgeable about the Argentine health care system as medical services in the country tend to vary. The health care system in Argentina is broken down into three separate sectors: the public sector, the private sector and the mutual or social plan sector.

The best medical care in Argentina can be found in the capital city of Buenos Aires. However, once you venture outside the city the quality of health care that you will find will tend to differ. Most of the hospitals in the country have staff members that were trained abroad. However, a lot of the facilities, especially in the more rural areas, do not have up to date equipment on site. So, if you have a serious medical problem you made to be transported to the capital city or even out of the country. In this instance health care costs can be very expensive.

If you go to see a private doctor or seek services at a private clinic or hospital in Argentina you will need to be prepared to pay in cash on the spot. In these instances you will be expected to make immediate payment for services or treatment and only in cash.

If you seek treatment and services from the public sector you will find that care for inpatient and outpatient services at hospitals is free of charge. Outpatients do have to pay for medication though. In the private sectors there is nothing that is free of charge. All services and treatments are done at a cost to the patient. Mutual or social plans, which are administered by trade unions, offer medical care and services to employees that have paid a fixed fee. With this type of coverage, the patient only has to pay the difference between the cost of the treatment and the fixed fee.

As a foreigner in Argentina you will be allowed access to both the public and private health care facilities in the country. A lot of the larger private hospitals offer flexible payment plans for foreigners that need to seek medical treatment. If you go to a public hospital for treatment you will be encouraged to pay on the spot for treatment but may be given up to one month to submit payment in full for services or treatment that you received.

If you need to get prescription medication while you are in Argentina note that all medication is prescribed using either the generic name of the drug or the common international name of the drug. Most prescription medications can actually be purchased in Argentina over the counter without the need for a prescription.