Non-resident foreigners to be charged at Argentine public hospitals
Foreign nationals with permanent residency in Argentina are not affected by the new regulation, provided their immigration status is up-to-date La entrada Non-resident foreigners to be charged at Argentine public hospitals se publicó primero en Buenos Aires Herald .
Starting Tuesday, foreigners residing outside Argentina will be billed for medical services received at public hospitals, the government has announced. The Health Ministry implemented this policy via a resolution published in the Official Gazette. The new regulation outlines the process hospitals managed by the national government must follow to bill non-permanent residents for their healthcare costs.
This follows amendments to the Immigration Act, introduced through a decree signed by President Javier Milei in May 2025. The resolution lays out mechanisms for collecting fees from non-resident foreigners who lack health insurance, requiring public hospitals to seek reimbursement from the insurance companies. For individuals without coverage, the hospitals will bill the patients directly.
The objective is to establish consistent procedures for delivering care and recovering costs at health facilities under the national government's control. According to the Health Ministry, hospitals will ultimately be responsible for developing and implementing the necessary systems to enforce this system and recover costs from non-resident foreigners.
Argentine nationals with permanent residency in Argentina are not affected by this regulation. Their access to the public healthcare system remains equal to that of Argentine citizens, provided their immigration status is current and in compliance with existing regulations. The new procedure applies exclusively to individuals lacking permanent residency.
Should a non-resident suffer a medical emergency, the fee collection process cannot obstruct or delay the necessary medical care. No foreign national, irrespective of their immigration status, can be denied or restricted from receiving emergency treatment. This policy ensures that non-resident foreign nationals may receive emergency care even without insurance or payment in advance.
Emergencies encompass situations posing an imminent threat to life or vital functions, such as heart attacks, strokes, severe trauma, massive hemorrhages, and emergencies related to pregnancy, children, or newborns. After the emergency has passed, subsequent services might be subject to billing.
Written by urgent.news from Buenos Aires Herald's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
