Argentina

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Latin America and the Caribbean

9.9%CHE/GDP

26.4%OOP/CHE

15.2%GGHE-D/GGE

631BGDP (USD)

45.4MPopulation

Argentina is a high-income country in South America. Its population was 46.6 million people in 2023, and life expectancy was 76 years in 2022. The public sector, social security and the private sector together make up Argentina’s health system. The public sector provides free medical care financed by general and earmarked taxes. The Ministry of Health and provincial jurisdictions are responsible for redistributing these funds. The social security funds and the National Institute of Social Services for Retirees and Pensioners (PAMI) constitute the national social health security. Compulsory contributions from employees and employers finance these social security funds. The National Health Insurance System was created to provide equal and integral health benefits. Direct payments by patients and voluntary health insurance subscribers finance private sector insurers and service providers.

High out-of-pocket expenditure despite public financing

Public health expenditure accounted for 6.62% of gross domestic product, above the 6% recommended by the Pan American Health Organization and 15.72% of total public spending by 2020. Out-of-pocket health expenditure accounted for 22.4% of current health expenditure, and catastrophic health expenditure was estimated at 9.6 % in 2021.^[1] The universal health coverage index for 2021 was 78.5.^[2]

Remaining challenges

The population’s aging and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases are the main challenges to the financial sustainability of Argentina’s health system. Previous governments have promoted national strategies to reduce persistent inequalities in access, quality and health equity between different regions and vulnerable groups.

References

[1] World Health Organization, Global Health Expenditure Database, Indicators and Data (choose country)

[2] World Health Organization, Health Financing and Economics, WHO Health Financing Dashboard (choose country)