A recent study conducted by the consulting firm D’Alessio Irol has revealed that 70% of prepaid medicine users in Argentina are considering making changes to their health coverage due to a sharp increase in services in recent months.
The survey, which included responses from 1,240 participants over the age of 18 from different regions of Argentina, was conducted online in January.
The impact of price increases is being felt across all income levels, with even those with greater resources feeling pressured by costs and looking for alternatives in other prepaid companies that offer similar plans.
The report also revealed that 26% of users are considering abandoning their current provider in search of other private coverage, while 10% are evaluating the possibility of depending exclusively on the public health system. Additionally, 18% of lower-middle income individuals may be forced to leave the prepaid medicine system altogether.
Young people under the age of 34 are the most volatile in their choice of health coverage, with half actively seeking alternatives to change their current prepaid or social work.
The report also showed that 58% of those surveyed plan to make some changes with their prepaid medicine company, with 34% indicating no plans for change and 8% undecided.
In response to the potential changes, the report revealed that 16% of users will seek the same plan in another prepaid plan, 14% will maintain their current plan but switch to a lower-priced plan, and 10% will look for a minimum plan. Additionally, 10% are considering abandoning prepaid medicine altogether, 5% will stick with the minimum plan but maintain their current prepaid plan, and 3% are thinking about taking out health insurance that covers only the most serious and expensive conditions.
The report comes after prepaid medicine providers announced an increase of between 27% and 29% in dues for February. This follows a recent decree by the President that removed the price freeze on prepaid medicine, allowing companies to implement unlimited increases in fees and evaluate the implementation of “low cost” plans.