IOMA financial and legal debt crisis

The Buenos Aires provincial health insurer, Instituto de Obra Médico Asistencial (IOMA), has faced significant financial instability affecting various service providers.

Initially, the crisis manifested as a roughly $300 million shortfall that delayed payments to disability day-centres within the Buenos Aires province. This led to protests by workers and families at IOMA headquarters in La Plata, as facilities such as Centre Cántaros and the Institute of Integral Rehabilitation warned that the debt threatened essential rehabilitation services and staff salaries. While IOMA made partial payments to some providers, the continuity of services remained at risk.

The financial conflict expanded to a legal dispute with the government of San Luis. The San Luis administration filed a federal lawsuit against IOMA to recover approximately $485 million in unpaid medical debts accumulated since 2017. The litigation involves arrears for medical services provided to Buenos Aires affiliates residing in San Luis. Officials stated the deficit arose because IOMA reportedly continued paying outdated historical rates based on a 2001 reciprocity agreement rather than transitioning to a payment-per-service system as previously agreed.