In Argentina it exists 701 entities providing prepaid medicines, who has 6 million beneficiaries, including those coming from social work transfers, more than half of whom are under 40 years old. In 2013 there were 568.
The figures circulating in the sector correspond to the Register of the Superintendence of Health Services. It includes commercial companies, mutual societies, foundations, civil associations, social works of management staff and those with adherent, complementary or superior plans.
From these official numbers it can be deduced that more prepaid medical entities operate across the country than is usually assumed. But the system is very focused: 10 entities have more than 4.5 million and about 400, less than 5 thousand users. This is because the number of entities that provide partial services, such as dentistry or medical emergencies or in certain regions or small towns, is very large.
Far, OSDE is at the top of the rankings with more than 2 million users, followed by Swiss medical doctor, with a million. Then it follows Galeno, Sancor, Medifé, Omint, Italian Society, Medicus, ACA Health and Prevention Health.
In many cases, the entities have their own clinics or sanatoriums and / or outsource or contract hospitalization services, radiology, laboratories, etc.
It is estimated that more than half of those reached through the prepaid drug is young people, under 40 years old, while at the other end, over 65, 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, but for a typical family, it’s around $ 15,000 and more than $ 20,000 a month for larger plans.
Private medicine advanced hand in hand with agreements with social works, which intensified with the deregulation process, which began in the 1990s. They are practically high-income employees who can access higher coverage with the mandatory contribution or are willing to pay the difference to have a bigger plan.
In these cases, the payments of these affiliates to the prepayment are deductibles up to 5% of the net annual profit of the income tax base, which mitigates the impact of fees on members with the related fiscal cost to the state.
In turn, the social work system related to social security – such as employees, single taxpayers, registered internal staff and including PAMI – has 20,000,739 between owners and family members, according to official data from the Superintendency of Health Services. Of the total, 11,695,949 correspond to dependent workers and family members and 5,092,582 to PAMI pensioners.
GB