Health Insurance Costs Surge Up to 70% in Quintana Roo, Hitting Seniors Hardest

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The cost of health insurance in Quintana Roo has jumped between 20% and 70% so far this year, with elderly residents bearing the brunt as many can no longer afford coverage.

Andrés Jurado Viera, president of the Medical Tourism Commission at the Mexican Employers’ Confederation (Coparmex), attributed the increases to fiscal changes that took effect this year. Insurers can no longer deduct value-added tax (IVA), and medical inflation has added further pressure, leading companies to pass on higher costs to customers.

Iván Reynoso Navarro, president of the Mexican Association of Insurance and Bond Agents (AMASFAC) in Cancún, confirmed that the hikes have reached alarming levels. In some cases, insurers have suspended contracts with local hospitals because coverage costs have become too high.

“For example, if a medical insurance policy cost 30,000 pesos in 2025, this year it costs 39,000 or 40,000 pesos. But there are extreme cases with even higher increases,” Reynoso said.

Beyond the IVA issue, Reynoso noted significant inflation in the healthcare sector — not only for medications but also for instruments, specialized equipment, and clinical staff salaries — all of which are driving up service costs and, consequently, insurance premiums.

Currently, only 7% to 8% of Quintana Roo’s population has health insurance, a much lower rate than in cities like Monterrey or Guadalajara, where penetration exceeds 10%.

Reynoso warned that if the goal is to maintain current coverage levels in Cancún despite rising costs, insurers must innovate with products and coverage tailored to each client’s reality. Otherwise, the share of the population able to access these services could shrink further.

Health insurance costs have been rising at two to three times the rate of inflation since the pandemic. Public complaints on social media include one person whose policy went from 18,000 pesos in 2018 to 58,000 pesos in 2025 — a 222% increase.

Although neither inflation nor medical service costs have risen at that pace, premiums are increasing by double digits each year. In response, initiatives have been introduced in the Chamber of Deputies aimed at curbing these disproportionate hikes.