Dasu

What Dasu does

DASU is a non-profit health insurance fund (obra social) established in 1990 under Argentine Law 24.741, providing mandatory health coverage to employees of the Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco and their dependents across the Patagonia region of Argentina. The organization operates four physical offices in Chubut province (Comodoro Rivadavia as headquarters, plus Trelew, Puerto Madryn, and Esquel) and serves a membership anchored by the university's teaching (docentes), non-teaching (no docentes), and retired staff, with additional voluntary adherent members. Core benefits include medical consultations, hospitalizations, medications, diagnostic imaging, dental, mental health, emergency services, pharmacy benefits, and an extensive suite of preventive care plans covering cardiovascular disease, maternal-child health, diabetes, oncology, celiac disease, COPD, and pediatric screening. National coverage is delivered through the COSUN network, a consortium of 48 Argentine university health insurance funds enabling reciprocal service provision including access to major Buenos Aires hospitals.

The service delivery model combines owned infrastructure with contracted networks. DASU operates Consultorios Propios (in-house medical clinics) in Comodoro Rivadavia and Trelew with multiple specialties, and contracts emergency services through EMEC, SEP, and SANOS across the main cities. Pharmacy operations were substantially restructured in late 2024 and early 2025, with closures of owned pharmacies in Puerto Madryn and Esquel and new partnerships with Farmacias Patagónicas and Mediven SA (Farmacia Social) to maintain dispensing coverage. Underlying the operations is a proprietary technology stack: DASUMED (a medication database enabling reference pricing and generic substitution), Salveo Radiant (a provider-facing real-time authorization portal), DASU24 (a mobile digital credential app on Android and iOS), and DASU Autogestión (a member self-service web portal).

The revenue model is anchored on three mandatory contribution streams: a 3% employee payroll deduction, a 6% university contribution, and adherent member fees, supplemented by mandatory co-payments (coseguros) and a Special Contribution Fund (FES). Argentine statutory constraints require a minimum 60% allocation of the annual budget to medical-assistance services and cap operating expenses at 25%. The organization employs 51-100 staff and is governed by a Board of Directors comprising representatives from the university's teaching and non-teaching staff plus the Higher Council. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the May 2024 declaration of an economic emergency, followed by pharmacy closures and outsourcing, signals active financial pressure within the otherwise stable regulatory structure.

Name

Dasu

Legal name

DASU - Obra Social del Personal de la Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco

Website

https://dasu.com.ar

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DASU is a non-profit health insurance fund (obra social) providing mandatory health coverage to employees of the Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco across four Patagonia offices, operating a digital services platform and national network access via COSUN.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Insurance

NAICS

Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAIAFAB

Self-Funded (ASO) Group Health Plans & Stop-Loss

Financial & Insurance/Insurance — Life & Health/Group Health Insurance (Employer-Sponsored)

SECONDARYBPAIAKAH

Healthcare-Linked Social Benefits Administration (e.g., Medicaid/Means-Tested Health Coverage)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Social Security, Benefits & Welfare Administration

SECONDARYHLAJAKAG

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

Keywords

• Health insurance
• Obra social services
• Preventive healthcare
• Pharmacy benefits
• Medical provider network

Headquarters

HQ city

Comodoro Rivadavia

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Employee Payroll Contributions: Mandatory 3% salary deduction from affiliated employees (calculated on full working day basis), collected simultaneously with salary payment.
2. University Contribution: The university contributes 6% of employee remuneration as required by regulations.
3. Adherent Contributions: Voluntary members (retirees, pensioners, students, external individuals) pay monthly contributions set by the Board of Directors.
4. Co-payments (Coseguros): Mandatory member participation in service costs as established by the Board of Directors.
5. Special Contribution Fund (FES): Special solidary fund with periodic contribution increases communicated to members (appears in regular fee adjustment notices).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DASU is a non-profit health insurance fund (obra social) that provides comprehensive medical coverage, preventive care, pharmacy benefits, and emergency services to employees of Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco and their families. The organization operates its own medical clinics, a network of partner providers (Red COSUN), a social pharmacy, and member digital tools across Patagonia, Argentina.

Product overview

Dasu is a health insurance fund (obra social) for employees of the Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, operating four physical offices across Patagonia Argentina (Comodoro Rivadavia, Trelew, Puerto Madryn, Esquel). Its service portfolio consists of a core health insurance plan (Plan de Salud) supplemented by owned medical clinics (Consultorios Propios) offering multiple specialties, a contracted national coverage network through COSUN, and emergency services across its main locations. The digital product stack includes DASU24 (mobile app for digital credentials and token-based authorization), DASU Autogestión (web self-service portal), and provider-facing tools Salveo Radiant and Liquidación Web. The company also operates its own pharmacy network (Farmacia Social, managed by Mediven SA) and offers preventive care programs covering cardiovascular disease, maternal-child health, diabetes, oncology, celiac disease, respiratory conditions, and pediatric care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Reference pricing reduces medication costs by covering only up to average of cheapest, most expensive, and best-selling product prices
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Farmacia Social (Mediven SA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2025Partnership with Farmacia Social (Mediven SA) to provide all pharmacy services in Comodoro Rivadavia and Trelew after DASU discontinued its own pharmacy operations. Includes multiple branch locations for member convenience.
• Farmacias Patagónicas (Esquel)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 December 2024Partnership with Farmacias Patagónicas in Esquel to continue pharmacy services after closure of DASU's own pharmacy at that location. Covers all prescription fulfillment and services previously provided by DASU pharmacy.
• Farmacias Patagónicas (Puerto Madryn)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 December 2024Partnership with Farmacias Patagónicas at Av. Roca 1395 (Esquina Fournier) in Puerto Madryn to continue pharmacy services after closure of DASU's own pharmacy. All coverage terms remain unchanged.
• COSUN (Consejo de Obras Sociales de las Universidades Nacionales)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990COSUN is a national consortium of 48 university health insurance funds in Argentina. DASU participates as a member, enabling reciprocal healthcare coverage for members across the entire country through the network of university social works. The partnership includes joint policy development, collective purchasing of medications, and shared nomenclators and medical protocols.
• EMEC (Comodoro Rivadavia)coreOthersEmergency medical services provider contracted for Comodoro Rivadavia, located at Avenida Roca 255. Provides 24/7 emergency coverage and ambulance services including airport transfers for medical derivations.
• SEP (Sociedad Española de Socorros) - Puerto MadryncoreOthersEmergency medical services provider for Puerto Madryn at Sarmiento 125, offering emergency coverage and ambulance services.
• SANOS - TrelewcoreOthersEmergency medical services provider for Trelew at Teniente García 145, providing emergency coverage and ambulance services.
• Hospital Italiano, Hospital Garraham, Hospital Británico, Instituto de la Visión, Instituto Cardiovascular (Buenos Aires)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect billing agreements with major Buenos Aires hospitals and specialized medical institutes within the COSUN network, providing members with access to high-complexity care in the capital city.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DOSPU - Obra Social del Personal de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo: DOSPU administers health coverage for UNCUYO employees, comparable to DASU as a regional university obra social serving a geographically concentrated academic community in Argentina.
• OSPA - Obra Social del Personal de la Universidad de Buenos Aires: OSPA is the university obra social for UBA employees, governed under the same Argentine statutory regime. It is one of the largest and most established university obras sociales, comparable to DASU in product structure (medical plan, owned clinics, pharmacy network, COSUN membership).
• DOPre - Dirección de Obra Social para el Personal de la Universidad Nacional de Rosario: DOPre is the university obra social for UNR personnel, a peer institution under Law 24.741 with comparable membership model and COSUN network participation.
• DASPU - Obra Social del Personal de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba: DASPU is the university obra social for Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, operating under the same Law 24.741 framework as DASU. It is a directly comparable Argentine university obra social with member-funded health coverage, owned clinics, and COSUN participation.

Broad incumbents

• Galeno: Galeno is one of the leading Argentine prepaid health plans, combining insurance with owned hospital and clinic assets. Relevant incumbent benchmark for DASU's owned-clinic model and national coverage ambitions.
• Swiss Medical: Swiss Medical Group is a major Argentine prepaid health plan with owned clinics and a national provider network. Comparable as a vertically integrated broad incumbent in the same health-coverage category as DASU.
• OSDE: OSDE is the largest private health plan in Argentina and a broad incumbent in prepaid health coverage. It competes for voluntary adherents and is the natural benchmark for a university obra social considering expansion beyond its captive base.

Regional players

• OSUN - Obra Social de la Universidad Nacional de Tucumán: OSUN is the university obra social for UNT personnel in northwestern Argentina. Structurally identical to DASU (Law 24.741, COSUN member, payroll-funded) but operating in a different geography, making it a useful regional peer for benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dasuobrasocial
• Facebookfacebook.com/dasu.patagonia
• Instagraminstagram.com/dasupatagonia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dasu---obra-social-del-personal-de-la-universidad-nacional-de-la-patagonia-s-j-b-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dasu