After charging foreigners, Salta went from serving 31,561 to just 77 and achieved million-dollar savings

Salta began to charge for healthcare for non-resident foreigners starting in 2024, and according to official data, the measure has already produced a significant cost savings in the Health sector and allowed resources to be allocated to improve care for the local population.

Among the highlighted results, the province managed to purchase 34 new ambulances with those funds, in addition to an improvement in the emergency response capacity of the system.

The implementation of the charge also allowed for a reversal of the presence of the so-called “Health Tours” from neighboring countries, in a context where the number of foreigners entering the Salta public health system has fallen to historic lows.

The Salta Health Minister, Federico Mangione, referred to one of the main effects of the measure: “now we have beds for our patients”, he stated.

The policy applied in Salta, driven by the Government of Javier Milei at the national level, is based on a defined criterion of prioritizing resources for the people of Salta and bringing justice in light of the lack of reciprocity for Argentine citizens who need medical care abroad.

From over 31 thousand foreign patients to just 10

One of the data points that clearly shows the impact of the measure is the sharp reduction in foreign patients treated in the Salta healthcare system.

During 2023, before the implementation of the new scheme, 31,561 foreign patients were treated. In 2024, the number drastically dropped to 77 people, while by July of this year, only 10 foreign patients were recorded.

The regulation has proven to be highly effective in reducing the influx of foreign patients and has allowed for the concentration of available resources on the local population of Salta.

The savings generated by the decline in these services were allocated, among other things, to the strengthening of the healthcare structure, with the addition of 34 ambulances and improvements in emergency response capacity.

The model promoted by the Milei Government

The successful experience of Salta is known while the Government of Javier Milei advances with a similar measure in national hospitals.

Through the Ministry of Health and resolution N° 1066/2026, the Nation regulated the procedure to charge for non-urgent services to foreigners who do not have permanent residency in the country.

The scheme establishes that permanent residents will retain the same access to the national healthcare system as Argentines, as long as they prove their immigration status.

For non-resident foreigners, however, there are two mechanisms: if they have health insurance, the hospital can bill the cost of care to the insurer. If they do not have coverage, they must pay for the service in advance.

The regulation maintains a central exception: Any situation that poses a real and imminent risk to life or vital functions must receive assistance, regardless of immigration status.