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Non-resident foreigners in Argentina will begin paying for non-urgent medical care at national public hospitals, the administration of President Javier Milei announced this Tuesday, stating it is combating "health tourism."
Through a resolution published in the Official Gazette, the Argentine government implemented a 2025 decree that amended the Migration Law, with the only exception being cases involving life-threatening risks.
"Emergency care will not be charged for, nor should it be delayed by bureaucratic or administrative procedures," clarified presidential spokesperson Adrián Ravier during a press conference on Tuesday.
Those presenting with heart attacks, strokes, severe trauma, extensive burns, obstetric, pediatric, or neonatal emergencies, among others, will be assisted without delay, the Ministry of Health detailed in a statement.
In contrast, those foreigners who cannot prove permanent residency and require non-urgent treatment must have health insurance or pay the total cost of the services before seeing a doctor.
The decree also established stricter requirements for obtaining residency and citizenship and implemented faster deportations for those who commit crimes.
Furthermore, it authorized national universities to charge tuition for educational services provided to non-resident students.
In Argentina, medical care and education are free within the public system.
During his conference, Ravier said the measure targets "health tours, where people come to the country, receive care at a public hospital, and return to their place of origin."
The presidential spokesperson did not provide details or figures regarding such cases.
As a federal country, the national executive branch can only decide on the hospitals under its jurisdiction, while provinces have the autonomy to adopt their own regulations.
Some provinces with international borders, such as Jujuy, Salta, Santa Cruz, or Mendoza, already charge for certain services to non-resident foreigners.
The political opposition objects to the measure against free care, claiming it has no basis.
This Tuesday, Nicolás Kreplak, Minister of Health for the province of Buenos Aires, maintained that "0.4% of emergency room visits and 0.5% of hospitalizations" involve non-resident foreigners.
"The health system is overloaded due to a lack of resources, not because of foreigners," the minister told the portal Infobae regarding that province, which is governed by the Peronist opposition.
[Publicidad]