How much more are you paying for your health (prepaga) insurance?

[Utopos]

I have been paying zero dollars per month for "health insurance" for more than ten years

Steve, for your sake I sincerely hope that public health services are better in Bahia Blanca than they are in GBA. My brother-in-law has no private insurance and had a TIA (a brief stroke) last week. He's in a large, "modern" facility in San Martin. Much of his care --- bathing for example --- is expected to be done by the family. But bring your own towels as none are provided. Nor are toilet paper, drinking water for the patient, a pillow(!), etc. Although this is a huge hospital, covering an entire city block, he had to be taken elsewhere for an MRI because their's doesn't work. In the past, my wife has had to bring surgical supplies for even simple procedures.

My daughter had a baby last April, using Swiss Medical. The difference in the care she received and what my brother-in-law is experiencing is extreme. Getting appointments and routine tests maybe be easy for you. Hopefully your care in a life-threatening situation will be up to private health standards.

 

[Caribbean Cool]

The premiums are going up....that we know it is no surprise. To me, the question is what are the actual price increases for procedures that the self-insured will 'shoulder'? That is harder to pin down.

 

[Quilombo]

Steve, for your sake I sincerely hope that public health services are better in Bahia Blanca than they are in GBA. My brother-in-law has no private insurance and had a TIA (a brief stroke) last week. He's in a large, "modern" facility in San Martin. Much of his care --- bathing for example --- is expected to be done by the family. But bring your own towels as none are provided. Nor are toilet paper, drinking water for the patient, a pillow(!), etc. Although this is a huge hospital, covering an entire city block, he had to be taken elsewhere for an MRI because their's doesn't work. In the past, my wife has had to bring surgical supplies for even simple procedures.

My daughter had a baby last April, using Swiss Medical. The difference in the care she received and what my brother-in-law is experiencing is extreme. Getting appointments and routine tests maybe be easy for you. Hopefully your care in a life-threatening situation will be up to private health standards.

I want to second this.

While waiting to get private health insurance upon moving back to Argentina I had a worsening fever (39.5 and climbing) from a UTI that wasn't responding to oral antibiotics and had to go to the public hospital here in CABA. It took 8 hours to be seen, and while the doctors were competent when I finally saw them, I'm just glad it wasn't something worse, it was a total shitshow, lack of supplies for blood work, no soap, toilet paper, or even toilet seats in the restroom, broken chairs, no heat in the lobby, etc. compare that with Favaloro, they were quick, clean, and well stocked.

Again, I want to be clear that the public hospital doctors and nurses are all great, and honestly probably more experienced than the private ones as they see everything, but it's getting to see them, treatment, and followup appointments that are the issue.

 

[wrangler]

I remember when I first arrived in Argentina, sometime in 2015. One day, i woke up, and I was feeling really dizzy. I lived in Villa Crespo at the time. I had no idea about hospitals here having been used to U.S. hospitals. I was so dizzy that I just had to go, so I went to The Durand. . Lots of people complaining, over 3 hours waiting to be seen. I did not like the layout of the place. It was in such poor conditions that I actually had to leave unattended.

 

[sergio]

I want to second this.

While waiting to get private health insurance upon moving back to Argentina I had a worsening fever (39.5 and climbing) from a UTI that wasn't responding to oral antibiotics and had to go to the public hospital here in CABA. It took 8 hours to be seen, and while the doctors were competent when I finally saw them, I'm just glad it wasn't something worse, it was a total shitshow, lack of supplies for blood work, no soap, toilet paper, or even toilet seats in the restroom, broken chairs, no heat in the lobby, etc. compare that with Favaloro, they were quick, clean, and well stocked.

Again, I want to be clear that the public hospital doctors and nurses are all great, and honestly probably more experienced than the private ones as they see everything, but it's getting to see them, treatment, and followup appointments that are the issue.

Which hospital did you go to? Why didn't you go to a private clinic?

 

[sergio]

I remember when I first arrived in Argentina, sometime in 2015. One day, i woke up, and I was feeling really dizzy. I lived in Villa Crespo at the time. I had no idea about hospitals here having been used to U.S. hospitals. I was so dizzy that I just had to go, so I went to The Durand. . Lots of people complaining, over 3 hours waiting to be seen. I did not like the layout of the place. It was in such poor conditions that I actually had to leave unattended.

This is the problem with public health care in Argentina. A surgeon at a major clinic in BA once told me that his father, a surgeon in a northern province, had to provide his own surgical instruments. They lacked the most essential supplies.

 

[on the brink]

Public hospitals are starved for funds, and swamped by the large number of non tax-paying foreigners seeking free medical care.

State hospitals should be free for taxpaying residents only, with all others being charged for non-emergency care.

As it is, people from neighboring countries flock to Argentina for free surgery - all kinds, including plastic surgery.

 

[nikad]

Medicus just sent out their letter announcing 29% increase for February.

 

[Johnny]

Medicus just sent out their letter announcing 29% increase for February.

Hi Nikad. Is this increase on top of the reported increase of nearly 50% in January?

 

[nikad]

Hi Nikad. Is this increase on top of the reported increase of nearly 50% in January?

yes, the reported 40% increase is for January, now 29% on top of that for February.