Courts in Argentina and Uruguay Order Health Authorities to Fund High‑Cost Treatments

A provincial court in Entre Ríos, Argentina ordered the provincial health insurer OSER to fully cover the cost of an intensive drug‑rehabilitation programme for a young patient, rejecting the insurer’s lower‑priced offer. The court mandated payment of the centre’s full monthly budget of 714,000 Argentine pesos and guaranteed coverage through December 2026.

In Salto, Uruguay, a judge granted an amparo petition and ordered the National Ministry of Public Health to supply the cancer drug Avelumab to a retired patient with bladder cancer. The high‑cost medication, valued at roughly US$386,000, must be delivered within 24 hours, setting a precedent for access to expensive treatments.

Both rulings underscore the judiciary’s role in enforcing the right to health care and ensuring that state‑run insurers or ministries provide medically necessary, costly therapies.