PAMI fails to comply with judicial order for retiree medication coverage

PAMI, Argentina's social security agency for retirees, has failed to comply with a judicial order to restore full medication coverage. Despite a court ruling in May 2025 that mandated the restitution of the ‘Vivir Mejor’ program—which guaranteed 100% coverage for certain medications—the mandate has not been implemented nationwide.

During a meeting of the Permanent Commission on Elderly Persons in the Chamber of Deputies, Ombudsman Sebastián Baltanaz highlighted the human cost of these delays, citing cases where retirees were denied essential oncological treatments. Legal representatives for the Asamblea Permanente por los Derechos Humanos (APDH) noted that while the ruling was initially for Córdoba, it was extended to the entire country in October 2025, yet authorities have continued to evade the order.

Official government reports indicate that approximately 2.2 million PAMI affiliates lost their 100% coverage status, with 1.6 million of those being regular consumers of the affected medications.