Today we had the honor of meeting Dr. Daniel Ferrante, the current Deputy Minister of Health of CABA. He enlightened us on the history of their health department. This educational conversation set the tone for the rest of the day as he elaborated on the complexities of their healthcare system and how there is much more under the surface. 

After meeting with the minister, we had a quick break before also having the pleasure to meet Dr. Gabriel Leverstein, current director of the Obra Social de Comercio. This was also a big deal as we got to hear about the system of Obras Sociales from the leader of the largest union in Argentina. He gave us a breakdown of how Argentina’s healthcare system is set up now and how Obras Sociale fits into it. I learned that the leaders of Obras Sociales face a challenge that could cause huge problems for their system down the road. Dr. Leverstein explained how PMO is a set list of healthcare services that all Obras Sociales in Argentina are legally required to provide for their members. While the PMO is designed to ensure a basic standard of care for all Argentinians, it also creates significant challenges for the leaders of Obras Sociales. Since they are obligated to cover all services listed in the PMO, leaders often struggle to balance rising healthcare costs with limited budgets. Many Obras Sociales serve lower-income groups, which means they collect fewer contributions and have fewer resources to meet PMO requirements. This can lead to financial strain, service delays, or even debt. Overall, the goals of PMO are in an effort to guarantee equitable care to all, but without adequate funding, it puts pressure on the leaders of Obras Sociales to do more with less. Often forcing tough decisions about how to prioritize care while staying within legal obligations.

We then had a short turn-around for lunch before meeting the past Deputy National Minister of Health, Dr. Luis Gimenez. He thoroughly went through a presentation that explained Universal health and some key characteristics of the system. Finally we finished the day off with a walking tour of Museo Entográfico where we saw a series of beautiful exhibits and artifacts.