In Argentina, prices for various services, from prepaid medical plans to electricity and gas tariffs, are set to increase starting December.
Prepaid Medical Plans According to the Argentine News Agency, the leading prepaid medicine companies have defined their rate increases starting in December. These hikes are in line with the latest inflation data for October released by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC). With the Consumer Price Index (CPI) at 2.3% for the tenth month of the year, the country's main prepaid plans have already set their increments. The margins for increasing member fees in the Health sector have consistently remained above inflation. According to INDEC data, prices rose 1.5% in the Greater Buenos Aires (GBA) area and 1.8% nationwide in October. So far this year, the accumulated increase is 22.7%, and 28.9% compared to the same month last year. However, the rate of increase for plan values shows a consolidated trend of deceleration compared to previous months when costs doubled. Thus, the fee values align with the October CPI: * Galeno: 2.3% * Swiss Medical: 2.3% * OSDE: 2.1% nationwide and 2.5% in the Patagonia region * Prevención Salud: 2.3% * Avalian: 2.3% * Hospital Alemán: 2.3% * Sociedad Italiana: 2.3% * Sancor: 2.3% in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA). However, one prepaid medicine company informed the government of an adjustment to its monthly values that exceeded the latest inflation figure. This is Accord Salud, which increased its value by 2.4%, positioning it 0.1 percentage points (pp) above the CPI.
Transportation Starting Monday, bus and subway fares in the AMBA area will increase. The adjustment is set at 2% plus the inflation index, making this increment 4.3%. The same increase will apply in the Province of Buenos Aires, which has added an additional 10% hike for the coming month. * Buses: The minimum bus fare in the City will cost $593.52, while in the Greater Buenos Aires (GBA) area, it will be $658. * Subway and highways in CABA: The subway fare will rise to $1.206. For tolls, during peak hours, they will cost $4,912.67 on the Perito Moreno and 25 de Mayo highways, and $2,042.38 on the Illia highway.
Public Services Electricity and gas bills will continue with their monthly updates, using inflation as a reference. Electricity bills will see an increase of 3.6% for Edenor and 3.53% for Edesur compared to November prices. The final impact on bills will depend on the user's category. Level 1 users will pay the full tariff, while Level 2 and Level 3 users maintain subsidies tied to consumption ranges. In this regard, the government presented the new scheme of targeted subsidies for vulnerable households within the framework of the transition period towards focused subsidies and initiated a public consultation on the new design. The existing N1, N2, and N3 levels will be eliminated, and households will be reclassified into two large groups: households with subsidies and households without subsidies.
