In Argentina there are 701 entities that supply prepaid medicines, who have 6 million beneficiaries, including those arising from transfers of social works, more than half of which are under the age of 40. In 2013 there were 568.
The figures circulating in the sector correspond to the registry of the Chief Inspector of Health Services. It contains trading companies, mutual societies, foundations, civil associations, social works of management personnel and those who have adherent, complementary, or superior plans.
From these official figures it can be inferred that there are more prepaid medical entities operating across the country than is generally assumed. But the system is very concentrated: 10 entities have more than 4.5 million and about 400, less than 5 thousand users. This happens because the number of entities providing partial services, such as dentistry or medical emergencies or in certain regions or small towns, is very high.
By far, OSDE is at the top of the rankings with more than 2 million users, followed by Swiss Medical, with a million. Then follow Galeno, Sancor, Medifé, Omint, Italian Society, Medicus, ACA Health and Health Prevention.
In many cases, the entities have their own clinics or sanatoriums and / or outsource or contract hospital admissions, radiology, laboratories, etc.
It is estimated that more than half of those reached with prepaid drugs young people under the age of 40, while on the other hand, with more than 65 years, only 19%. An age relationship that favors the private system.
Almost all adults over the age of 60 are covered by PAMI.
Prepaid health plans vary depending on the family structure, however for an average family, it’s about $ 15,000 and over $ 20,000 a month for larger plans.
Private medicine went hand in hand with the similarities with social works, which intensified with the deregulation process that began in the 1990s. These are essentially high-income workers who have access to higher coverage with the mandatory premium or who are willing to pay the difference to have a higher plan .
In those cases, the payments of those affiliated companies are prepaid own risk up to 5% of each year’s net profit of the income tax base, easing the impact of the fees on members with the resulting tax expense to the state.
For its part, the social work system related to social security – such as wage earners, monotributists, registered domestic workers and including PAMI – 20,000,739 between owners and relatives, according to official data from the Superintendency of Health Services. Of the total, 11,695,949 relate to dependent and family workers and 5,092,582 to PAMI retirees and retirees.
GB