Women tend to pay 42% more in premiums for major medical expenses insurance than men. This cost disparity is particularly evident in women between the ages of 25 and 35, who are charged almost double what men in the same age range pay. Insurers justify this increase based on considerations related to motherhood, referring to this stage of life as 'reproductive age.'
Medical expense insurance for women includes additional costs related to the possibility of pregnancy, childbirth, abortion, and other specific conditions. For example, while a 25-year-old man might pay around 14,000 pesos for a policy, a woman of the same age would have to shell out between 10,000 and 20,000 pesos more. This can significantly impact the decision to purchase health insurance, as only 4.4% of Mexican women between the ages of 18 and 70 have a medical policy, compared to 7.3% of men, according to the National Survey on Financial Inclusion.
It is recommended that women undergo regular medical check-ups to prevent and detect diseases in a timely manner, given their higher risk of developing certain conditions. Routine medical examinations include mammograms, Pap smears, annual gynecological check-ups, blood tests, cancer detection, hormonal evaluation, and blood pressure monitoring, among others. This constant follow-up contributes to women's health and well-being.
The increase in health insurance costs for women is justified by several gender-specific risk factors. These include a higher incidence of diseases such as heart problems, diabetes, malignant tumors, cerebrovascular diseases, influenza, and pneumonia. Additionally, the greater life expectancy of women compared to men and their genetic predisposition to diseases with high treatment costs also influence the price disparity in medical insurance.
