Non-resident foreigners in Argentina will no longer receive publicly funded hospital care under a new cost-cutting measure announced by President Javier Milei’s government.
The policy does not cover life-threatening emergencies, which will remain free, including heart attacks, strokes, severe trauma, major bleeding, serious burns and obstetric, paediatric and neonatal emergencies.
The government says the measure is aimed at curbing so-called medical tourism, involving foreigners who travel to Argentina for treatment before returning home. However, its impact will be limited because most public healthcare services are managed by provincial governments.
Critics of the policy argue that it could worsen pressure on Argentina’s already underfunded public health system. Buenos Aires Province Health Minister Nicolas Kreplak said non-resident foreigners account for just 0.4 percent of emergency room visits and 0.5 percent of hospitalisations.
Kreplak said the healthcare system is struggling because of inadequate resources rather than the presence of foreign patients, challenging the government’s justification for the new policy.
