Healthcare in Argentina for retirees
Healthcare in Argentina for retirees: temporary residents need health insurance or pay at public hospitals, and JCI-accredited private hospitals include Austral and Allende.
The hospitals retirees use, what insurance does and does not cover. Checked against official and hospital sources on Oct 8, 2026.
- Life expectancy
- 77.5 years US 78.9. World Bank, 2024
- Doctors
- 5.1 per 1,000 US 3.7. World Bank, 2023
- Health spending
- $1,457/person Per year; US $13,473. World Bank, 2023
- Paid out of pocket
- 24.5% Of all health spending; US 10.9%. World Bank, 2023
Hospitals retirees use in Argentina
Buenos Aires
Fundación Favaloro
- Founded in 1975 by René Favaloro, the surgeon who developed coronary bypass surgery
- Its cardiology and cardiovascular surgery institute opened in 1992 and now covers many specialties
- Its team performed Argentina's first heart-lung transplant, in 1990
Fundación Favaloro. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Pilar (Greater Buenos Aires)
Hospital Universitario Austral
- First hospital in Argentina accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), in 2013, and re-accredited for the fifth time
- One of five JCI-accredited institutions in Argentina
- Has an international patient service
Hospital Universitario Austral. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Córdoba
Sanatorio Allende
- Accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI)
- Caring for patients in Córdoba for 88 years
- 24-hour emergency department
Sanatorio Allende. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Mendoza
Clínica de Cuyo
- 24-hour emergency department, every day
- Neurosciences institute and its own laboratory and imaging
- Emergency care in general medicine, cardiology, surgery, obstetrics and paediatrics
Clínica de Cuyo. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Emergency care cannot be refused to any foreigner, whatever their immigration status. Permanent residents use the public health system on the same terms as Argentines. Since Decree 366/2025, other foreigners, including temporary residents, get routine care at hospitals run by the national government only with health insurance or by paying first.
Paying for care in Argentina
24.5% of health spending in Argentina is paid directly by patients, about 2 times the US share, so plan how you will pay before you move.
Retirees use either an international health plan, which can also cover care at home and in other countries, or a local plan from an insurer in Argentina, which costs less but covers care there only. Prices depend on age and on the insurer's terms for existing conditions; compare written quotes.
If you are on Medicare
Medicare usually does not pay for care outside the United States; the exceptions are narrow, such as a foreign hospital closer to your US home than the nearest US hospital.
Medicare.gov. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
Healthcare questions
Does Medicare cover me in Argentina?
Medicare usually does not pay for care outside the United States; the exceptions are narrow, such as a foreign hospital closer to your US home than the nearest US hospital. Plan on private insurance or paying directly for care in Argentina.
Do I need health insurance for the Pensionado visa?
Yes. Since Decree 366/2025, foreigners entering Argentina under any immigration category sign a sworn statement that they have health insurance, and national public hospitals give temporary residents routine care only against insurance or payment.
How much of the bill do people pay themselves?
In Argentina, 24.5% of all health spending is paid out of pocket, against 10.9% in the US (World Bank, 2023).
Does Argentina offer health insurance for foreigners over 65?
Since 2025 foreigners entering Argentina declare that they have health insurance, and national public hospitals give temporary residents routine care only against insurance or payment. Permanent residents use public health care on the same terms as Argentines.
What health care is there for elderly people in Argentina?
Emergency care is open to everyone. Large private hospitals include Fundación Favaloro in Buenos Aires, Hospital Universitario Austral in Pilar and Sanatorio Allende in Córdoba, the last two accredited by JCI, and Clínica de Cuyo in Mendoza.
How much does Argentina spend on healthcare?
About $1,457 a person a year, against $13,473 in the US, with out-of-pocket payments at about 24% of health spending.
