PAMI payment crisis forces suspension of dental and medical services for Argentine retirees

Dentists affiliated with the PAMI health scheme halted all patient care on 18 May, citing arrears that have stretched up to six months and payments of only about 2,100 pesos per patient, which do not cover basic supplies. The Association of Professionals linked to PAMI (APPAMIA) warned that the unpaid debts and lack of fee updates left clinics unable to restock materials.

Primary‑care doctors across several provinces have issued threats to curtail services after a recent payment reform cut their earnings by up to 50 %. The new capitation model replaced the mixed fixed‑plus‑consultation fee, prompting many physicians to consider progressive service reductions.

Pharmacies in Corrientes report a “historic” debt from PAMI, with reimbursements delayed more than 60 days while cash payments for 40 % of purchases are still pending. The cash‑flow gap has forced smaller drugstores to operate on a “drop‑by‑drop” basis, jeopardising stocks of high‑cost medicines such as insulin.

In Jujuy, provincial legislators criticised the national PAMI office for fee cuts that triggered mass resignations of doctors, specialists and dentists in rural districts, leaving roughly 1,185 seniors without local care. Affected towns now require retirees to travel long distances for basic health services, imposing unaffordable transport costs.

Collectively, the setbacks have been described by health professionals and politicians as a “situation of abandonment” for the country’s aging population.