Hospital Italiano Insurance?

[Rich One]

I was looking at the plan, to be a socio. I was told that the hospitals are very crowded, but that there are many clinics that are just for members and they are new and nice and not crowded. And that the hospitals were open to all people, not just socios, which is why they should be avoided if I was just wanting to go and do something like go to a dermatologist.

I really don't know how the health care thing works here in Argentina. But out of curiosity, for these other places recommended - Hospital Aleman, Hospital Britanico, OSDE, Galeno... Do they have private clinics or are they just big hospitals?

Hospital Italiano seemed to have a network of like 30 clinics...

I was just quoted 1515 pesos a month with co-pay of $80 pesos except the dentist and gynecologist and various other things for example are totally covered. And for 2300 pesos a month, there is no co-pay.

Wish I was your age...!

 

[nikad]

This is how the health system works ( brief explanation )

- Public health: access to public hospitals 100% free. Facilities can be ran down, they are usually crowded and it can take months to get an appointment for certain specialties. Doctors are great ( especially in the city ) and they are the most renowned and the ones that teach in Medical school. Sometimes they also work for private clinics.

- Private Hospitals: The most known are Italiano, Britanico and Aleman. All three have some of the best doctors in the country. Everything is centralized but sometimes they also give you access to dr offices outside of the hospital facilities. Hospitals have very good technology, have all the specialties and subspecialties. Facilities are excellent but not " fancy "

- Private Health Insurance Companies: They give you access to a network of doctors, clinics and depending on the plan, you can also access private hospitals such as the ones I mentioned above ( usually these are the most expensive plans ). You have access to many different places and specialists and some of the facilities are very fancy. I would say that they have a mixture of great doctors and other doctors that are not so great. They provide in home visits. Some of the best companies are OSDE, Omint, Galeno, Swiss Medical, Medicus.

- Health services ran by worker's unions ( aka Obra Social ) They work more or less in the same way private health insurance companies do, except that it is your employer paying for it, there are many you can choose from. They are not the best, yet not the worst. Usually you have very small copays.

Hope this sheds some light.

 

[Ceviche]

This is how the health system works ( brief explanation )


Hope this sheds some light.

Indeed, Ma'am!

 

[Silvie]

Hospital Aleman is the best but it's also the most expensive one.

It used to be better in the past.

 

[Girino]

I have Hospital Italiano and I pay that amount (1500 pesos per month with co-pay). My experience is not very good because their own hospital (modern) is in Almagro, which is 50' by car from my place. I have a multi practice office of theirs around the corner and I have used it plenty, though these are just doctor offices and they just write prescription or order exams, they don't perform any procedure (beside changing dressings). Doctors rotate across these offices, so for example my dermatologist attends only on Monday and Friday morning and there is a two months wait. My GP is there every other day and the wait is 4 working days. Still too long if you need quick (but not urgent) care. You can go to a guardia anytime but then you will get any doctor, not your doctor. I was in need of more than a prescription about 3 times in the last month an di was sent to another private hospital near home. I had to pay the co-pay of the other hospital and then the doctor didn't think the procedure I needed was necessary. The emergency doctor on call at the italiano office said she couldn't force a colleague to execute a procedure, and suggested me to go to the HI main hospital in Almagro where she would alert her colleagues that I needed urgent care. So the other clinics are not very compelled to assist you, in my experience. I was thinking to move to Galeno because they have an hospital closer to me.

I am not happy with HI, though a lot of people have reported it is supposedly the best. It really depends on your doctors... maybe there are top notch doctors at their hospital, but I will get sent to the closer affiliated clinic, instead.

I think they are more than willing to write you prescription, but a lot less to actually follow with you and help you. Next time I will need a dermatologist I will go privately because I am not happy with the only dermatologist visiting in the Hospital Italiano office near me. If I have to travel one hour to see a dermatologist, let him be the best and not just the next affiliated one on their directory.

 

[Ceviche]

Hospitals can be a very personal thing

I have had great treatment in the Aleman . I have been seen by great doctots who know what they are doing .

But i can also appreciate that some people get a bad deal .

I think it is the same all over the world

I never got a bad deal at Aleman. Its just that I feel its more like a hotel and catering a lot to foreigners than a real hospital. I have many well to do Argentinos ( super rich) friends - born and brought up in BA - They scoff at hospital Aleman and Trinidad hospital.

Their (H.A) insurance package is much cheaper than the one with OSDE. But I love my association with OSDE - tried and tested in WORST of time. Will continue with OSDE for rest of my time in Arg. Plus Hospital Aleman and lot of other hospitals are included in OSDE package.

 

[pscheffer]

Never had insurance here and only used the public system. Yeah you have to wait but you get the best doctors in the country.
Had an appendicitis and was on the operating table of the Rivadavia on Las Heras in under 30 minutes. Full recovery in a day, no complications and an amazing staff.
Had a check up two weeks after surgery and they removed the stitches a week after that.
Why throw all that money at insurance companies?

 

[Ceviche]

Never had insurance here and only used the public system.
Why throw all that money at insurance companies?

Damn! How stupid of us to throw all that money in garbage! Where were you and this post so many years ago!

~smirk~

 

[Silvie]

I've been to Hospital Aleman and Italiano lately and even though they are still good; in the past they used to be much, much better (I had used their services in the 90s). It seems that since they take patients from prepagas and obras sociales, it's much more difficult to get appointments promptly.

 

[nikad]

I've been to Hospital Aleman and Italiano lately and even though they are still good; in the past they used to be much, much better (I had used their services in the 90s). It seems that since they take patients from prepagas and obras sociales, it's much more difficult to get appointments promptly.

Unfortunately this is something you see more and more across private hospitals and private insurance clinics, etc. My guess is that they are not investing and increasing their capacity to keep up with the growing demand for private health services. Many people have obra social and pay a plus to actually get private insurance, so the whole system is crowded. Of course this is more noticeable at a private hospital because they mainly have the hospital itself, but health insurance companies went from 2 week wait times for appointments to month and a half wait times ( Medicus for example ).