# Evaluaci\'on del efecto del PAMI en la cobertura en salud de los adultos mayores en Argentina

## TL;DR

This study uses regression discontinuity models to evaluate how PAMI, Argentina's social health insurance, affects health coverage, expenditures, and service use among older adults, revealing increased insurance coverage and reduced costs without changing healthcare utilization.

## Contribution

It provides empirical evidence on the impact of PAMI on health coverage and expenditures using a natural experiment design in Argentina.

## Key findings

- PAMI significantly increases health insurance coverage among older adults.
- PAMI marginally reduces out-of-pocket health expenditures.
- No significant effect on healthcare service utilization was observed.

## Abstract

We conducted regression discontinuity design models in order to evaluate changes in access to healthcare services and financial protection, using as a natural experiment the age required to retire in Argentina, the moment in which people are able to enroll in the free social health insurance called PAMI. The dependent variables were indicators of the population with health insurance, out-of-pocket health expenditure, and use of health services. The results show that PAMI causes a high increase in the population with health insurance and marginal reductions in health expenditure. No effects on healthcare use were found.