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PAMI accumulates a huge debt with pharmacies and puts at risk the care of retirees in several provinces

ben

Well-known member
PAMI reimburses pharmacies for medications provided to retirees. Pharmacies dispense first, then PAMI pays later. If payments are delayed:

  • Pharmacies face cash flow problems
  • Wholesalers may cut off credit
  • Smaller neighborhood pharmacies are hit hardest
  • Some suspend PAMI coverage temporarily
If PAMI delays too long:

  • Pharmacies stop honoring coverage
  • Suppliers demand cash upfront
  • Drug availability shrinks


The bigger structural problem:


Argentina’s elderly system depends on:

  • Public reimbursement
  • Heavy subsidies
  • A fragile supply chain
  • Chronic fiscal deficits

When you abruptly cut deficits, something absorbs the shock.

Right now, it appears pharmacies are absorbing part of it.

Argentina is in a recession with collapsing real wages. Demand compression plus fiscal tightening creates stress everywhere. Elderly care systems are particularly sensitive because they depend on predictable reimbursement flows.

 
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