Free Health Coverage For All In The City Of Buenos Aires

[artisans]

We live in Palermo, and had to go to Hospital Pirovano to sign up in a.m only, you might need a Certification negativa from Anses to apply. You can get this @Anses locations at their stand up kiosks & online in pdf format for printing,it prints out as single page stating your status with them!

Thank you Neil for sharing. I am continuing to drill into the subject and get to the practical side of how to navigate the government health services. The government website on health services presents information about Cobertura Porteña as if it's a real and happening service, but as I wrote earlier the listed phone numbers don't pick up and at Hosp. Rivadavia and Fernandez no one I spoke with was able or willing to engage beyond giving me a phone number that didn't answer. Are you saying that you were able to register for Cobertura Porteña Salud at Hospital Pirovano? If so, did you use the downloadable excel file from the CoPs page and able to elect and contact the doctors listed for your area? Are you allowed to contact doctors out of your geographical zone?
On the assumption that CoPs is not working I pursued the other option Centro de Salud. Identified one of their CESAC clinics via a google search that has a good rating, yes! - they're rated and people post their experience at different health locations. Went to the CESAC clinic 17 which is on El Salvador in Palermo district to investigate. This Clinic falls under the Hospital Fernandez zone. Very quiet neighborhood, pleasant, and the amiable man at the desk offered to register me on the spot. Since I'm still waiting my DNI he accepted my passport and a photocopy of my original Precaria. He gave me a card with my ID HCE number, advised me I am now "Registrado" in, apparently, Historia Clinica Electronica, and advised me to call the telephone number 147. I went then to the government website and was directed to create an account at miBA https://miba.buenosaires.gob.ar/id/login?next=/ Created the account and, once inside, after some poking around found the Salud section and how to request Turnos. Call 147, communicate via WhatsApp (turns out to be a robot answering questions) or ask for appointment online. Attempted to ask an appointment online but you got a pop-up that first you must go to the Hospital of the zone you live in and "da la Alta" before you're allowed to use the website to request a turn. So, on Monday will try calling 147 and will visit the Hospital Fernandez on Cervino to 'da la alta' and hopefully be registered to request an appointment on line (surely the easier course than navigating operators at 147. So far it's still the blinding maze, but maybe eventually you get the riddles solved and a beaten path to see a doctor. Ojala!

 

[sergio]

Thank you Neil for sharing. I am continuing to drill into the subject and get to the practical side of how to navigate the government health services. The government website on health services presents information about Cobertura Porteña as if it's a real and happening service, but as I wrote earlier the listed phone numbers don't pick up and at Hosp. Rivadavia and Fernandez no one I spoke with was able or willing to engage beyond giving me a phone number that didn't answer. Are you saying that you were able to register for Cobertura Porteña Salud at Hospital Pirovano? If so, did you use the downloadable excel file from the CoPs page and able to elect and contact the doctors listed for your area? Are you allowed to contact doctors out of your geographical zone?
On the assumption that CoPs is not working I pursued the other option Centro de Salud. Identified one of their CESAC clinics via a google search that has a good rating, yes! - they're rated and people post their experience at different health locations. Went to the CESAC clinic 17 which is on El Salvador in Palermo district to investigate. This Clinic falls under the Hospital Fernandez zone. Very quiet neighborhood, pleasant, and the amiable man at the desk offered to register me on the spot. Since I'm still waiting my DNI he accepted my passport and a photocopy of my original Precaria. He gave me a card with my ID HCE number, advised me I am now "Registrado" in, apparently, Historia Clinica Electronica, and advised me to call the telephone number 147. I went then to the government website and was directed to create an account at miBA https://miba.buenosaires.gob.ar/id/login?next=/ Created the account and, once inside, after some poking around found the Salud section and how to request Turnos. Call 147, communicate via WhatsApp (turns out to be a robot answering questions) or ask for appointment online. Attempted to ask an appointment online but you got a pop-up that first you must go to the Hospital of the zone you live in and "da la Alta" before you're allowed to use the website to request a turn. So, on Monday will try calling 147 and will visit the Hospital Fernandez on Cervino to 'da la alta' and hopefully be registered to request an appointment on line (surely the easier course than navigating operators at 147. So far it's still the blinding maze, but maybe eventually you get the riddles solved and a beaten path to see a doctor. Ojala!

What a cliff-hanger! Can't wait for the next episode

 

[TheDonald]

Here are the raw economics. Pretty much every governmental entity in Argentina runs a fiscal deficit. Federal, provincial, municipal - all run fiscal deficits. This means that the costs of "free" healthcare are almost certainly paid for by Argentine taxpayers. I'm not talking about ABL. I'm talking about tax payments that are sent to the federal coffers.

The logical conclusion: any foreigner receiving "free" healthcare here, who is not paying federal taxes, is essentially sticking all Argentine taxpayers with their medical bills. If you are comfortable with this, more power to you.

 

[artisans]

Replied to you in another post a few minutes ago, this subscription has been closed a few years ago. It's now done through the 'centros de salud', CeSAC Nº 26 is the one for Palermo, https://www.buenosaires.gob.ar/salud/centro-de-salud-palermo-2
Provides the same services as the 'cobertura porten'a'.You can call 147 and ask for the closest one to you. Or simply google it.

Thank you Another, I missed this post. Very encouraging as I found a CeSAC 17 last week, went there, signed up "Registrado" in 5 minutes or less. Your post suggests I'm pointed in the right direction, so relieved, encouraged and looking forward!

 

[artisans]

Just to update this thread, after registering for Centro de Salud, free medical. After registering at the clinic CeSAC 17 with passport I received my DNI. While their system will accept the passport it all goes more smoothly, relatively, with a DNI. The next step after registering was to visit the main hospital, Fernandez, in the area where I live and do the required "empadronado" (go to a main window, ask to be empatronado, hand over your DNI, answer a few questions, attendant does things in computer, hands back DNI - you're empatronado). Once done you're able to register online and access MiBA to see your data, your appointments, make appointments. Not great, but it's somewhat useful. You can also call telephone # 147, tap in your DNI # and talk to an attendant, they will be able to see your data and make appointments for you. (if you don't speak castellano, better get someone to call for you) When you call 147 you are offered several options - one of them, if you dig deep enough, is for Coberatura Porteña. Like Ahab chasing the White Whale I spoke to someone at this extension, trying to get straight answers about how to register and get credentials for Coberatura Porteña. They do exist. Their information on the government website is in various measures - misleading, false, out of date. Complaining on the phone I was told to go to Fernandez hospital with my DNI in hand and ask for Coberatura Porteña. At the Fernandez hospital information desk they advised, again, Not Here, but gave me a hospital address Durand. Admissions person at Durand showed me my data on a computer screen - showing that I'm also registered for Cobertura Porteña. It must of happened as a result of talking/complaining to the CP attendant on the phone. But who knows? From the government website you can download a list of Coberatura Porteña doctors with office address and hours. I will try to go direct to a listed doctor's office to see if an appointment can be made directly, as someone else here reported being able to do.
Later, looking for ways to cut around the miserable looooong lines at Hosp. Fernandez to fulfill prescriptions for a lab analysis and an electrocardiogram I walked into Hospital Aleman with the prescriptions. I'm not associated but they were willing to fulfill them. The lab analysis (blood and urine) would be 15,000 pesos!! The electrocardiogram would be 812 pesos. Go figure! I got the electrocardiogram, registering, paying, getting the ECG test - about 30 minutes all together for 812 p. Will try another walk-in hospital for the lab or fall back on H. Fernandez, a long line up, but for "free".
So, my newly formed opinion is - get prescriptions relatively easily through #147 and clinic appointment with Centro de Salud/Coberatura Porteña doctor's appointment. Then fulfill the cheap prescriptions at a hospital like Aleman and suffer the expensive ones through Centro Salud/Coberatura Porteña at Hospital Fernandez. Building blocks - Register, Empadronado, Tel 147, Clinic, Hospital Fernandez, supplement with pay for play hospital.

 

[jantango]

I will try to go direct to a listed doctor's office to see if an appointment can be made directly, as someone else here reported being able to do.
I recall the time I was in my medica clinica's office and wanted to make an appointment with the secretary who wasn't busy. She told me I needed to call 147 to make the appointment.
After the last few appointments which are in the system, I receive a reminder email before the appointment date, and a followup email asking about my level of satisfaction. The city could not monitor appointments in this way if they were made directly with a doctor.

What you describe above is nothing like my experiences since I signed up for Coberatura Portena de Salud in April 2015. I haven't paid for any tests at Hospital Ramos Mejia. I suggest you report having to pay for tests when the coverage for consultations, tests, and prescriptions are without charge.

The only change I am aware of is that hospitals no longer issue plastic cards printed with your name and DNI on the front with Coberatura Portena de Salud and the hospital on the reverse side. I present this card with the doctor's order for any test at the hospital.

 

[artisans]

I will try to go direct to a listed doctor's office to see if an appointment can be made directly, as someone else here reported being able to do.
I recall the time I was in my medica clinica's office and wanted to make an appointment with the secretary who wasn't busy. She told me I needed to call 147 to make the appointment.
After the last few appointments which are in the system, I receive a reminder email before the appointment date, and a followup email asking about my level of satisfaction. The city could not monitor appointments in this way if they were made directly with a doctor.
What you describe above is nothing like my experiences since I signed up for Coberatura Portena de Salud in April 2015. I haven't paid for any tests at Hospital Ramos Mejia. I suggest you report having to pay for tests when the coverage for consultations, tests, and prescriptions are without charge.
The only change I am aware of is that hospitals no longer issue plastic cards printed with your name and DNI on the front with Coberatura Portena de Salud and the hospital on the reverse side. I present this card with the doctor's order for any test at the hospital.

Thank you! Jantango for commenting. You've saved me from another fruitless endeavor, going to a doctor's office. It was one of your old posts that I thought might make this 'a way'. Okay, dial 147 then and make appointments. And I live for the day 'the system' reaches out to me as you've described. Thanks.
Regards paying for tests, I didn't mean to imply that any payment was required from the Centro de Salud/Coberatura Porteña system.
What I described, not well apparently, was my frustration with the long lines and poor information in order to get a blood analysis and ECG done via Centro Salud/CP, and my seeking an alternative means of getting the tests done through Hospital Aleman, which is outside the CS/CP system - where they charge a fee to do the tests. For 812 pesos for the ECG at Hospital Aleman I was willing to pay it.

 

[Kula]

Here are the raw economics. Pretty much every governmental entity in Argentina runs a fiscal deficit. Federal, provincial, municipal - all run fiscal deficits. This means that the costs of "free" healthcare are almost certainly paid for by Argentine taxpayers. I'm not talking about ABL. I'm talking about tax payments that are sent to the federal coffers.

The logical conclusion: any foreigner receiving "free" healthcare here, who is not paying federal taxes, is essentially sticking all Argentine taxpayers with their medical bills. If you are comfortable with this, more power to you.

Well actually, ANY person living in the country is paying taxes, unless he is eating from a dumpster and living under the bridge.

 

[Rich One]

Here are the raw economics. Pretty much every governmental entity in Argentina runs a fiscal deficit. Federal, provincial, municipal - all run fiscal deficits. This means that the costs of "free" healthcare are almost certainly paid for by Argentine taxpayers. I'm not talking about ABL. I'm talking about tax payments that are sent to the federal coffers.

The logical conclusion: any foreigner receiving "free" healthcare here, who is not paying federal taxes, is essentially sticking all Argentine taxpayers with their medical bills. If you are comfortable with this, more power to you.

A permanent resident IS NOT a foreigner...! may soon become a citizen..and is paying taxes every day.. !

 

[steveinbsas]

A permanent resident IS NOT a foreigner...! may soon become a citizen..and is paying taxes every day.. !

Actually, permanent residents in Argentina are foreigners.

That's exactly what the word EXTRANJERO (printed in bold, red capital letters on the front of their DNI's) means.