How much does private health insurance (prepaga) cost in Argentina?

Q: Can I deduct the fee from income tax?

Yes, up to 5% of net income for you and your dependants ( Income Tax Law art. 85 f) ).

Last verified: 27 Oct 2026 · Status: Changing

Short answer. There is no official price. Since DNU 70/2023, prepagas set fees freely by plan and age band and may raise them at any time with 30 days' notice. The oldest age band may cost at most three times the youngest. Employees can put 85% of their 9% payroll health contributions toward the fee. Compare tariffs on SSSalud's plan values page.

As of 26 Oct 2026. Rules in force at that date.

Key rules

Free pricing. Prepagas "may freely set" plan fees for the whole life of the contract, and the increase may differ by plan (Decree 1993/2011 Annex art. 17, as replaced by Decree 102/2025 art. 1, BO 17 Feb 2025, in force the next day). The Ministry approval rule went when DNU 70/2023 (BO 21 Dec 2023) repealed Law 26.682 art. 5 g) (art. 267). SSSalud says it "has no competence over the value of plans or co-payments" (SSSalud plan values page). Regulation art. 5 g) still describes prior approval of increases; it was never repealed but SSSalud no longer applies it (unconfirmed).
Notice. Members must be told the percentage and the new fee within 5 days after INDEC publishes the latest CPI, and at least 30 calendar days before payment falls due (Annex art. 17). Prepagas file the same data with SSSalud first, by plan, age band and region (SSSalud Res. 645/2025 art. 2 and Annex I).
Age bands. Prices may differ by age band "at the time of contracting", with the last band costing at most 3 times the first (Law 26.682 art. 17, as replaced by DNU 70/2023 art. 269). Plans for the last band must have no maximum age (Annex art. 17). Age cannot be a ground to refuse you (Law art. 11).
Over 65. Members over 65 with more than 10 years in the same entity cannot be charged an increase because of age (Law art. 12). The 10 years must be continuous in that entity, under any plan, individual or corporate; changing plan does not break it (Annex art. 12, Decree 171/2024 art. 23). Art. 12 also tells the authority to set risk based increases for over 65 bands; no such table was found (unconfirmed).
Preexisting conditions. Only from your sworn statement, never a ground for refusal, but SSSalud may authorise a surcharge and its duration (Law art. 10; Annex art. 10).
Waiting periods. None for PMO services. Above the PMO, at most 12 months from the start of the contract (Law art. 10; Annex art. 10, Decree 171/2024 art. 22).
Minimum coverage. Every plan must include at least the PMO and the disability benefits of Law 24.901 (Law art. 7).
Derived contributions. Employees pay 3% and employers 6% of pay (Law 23.660 art. 16). 85% goes to the agent the employee chose and 15% to the Solidarity Redistribution Fund (art. 19, DNU 600/2024). A prepaga registered as an agent may charge a fee and "take on account" those contributions, and Law 26.682 arts. 9, 10 and 12 apply (Decree 576/93 Annex I art. 3, DNU 600/2024 art. 3).
VAT. Medical services provided or contracted by prepagas are taxed at 10.5%, half the 21% general rate, unless exempt (VAT Law art. 28 i)). The exemption covers services "derived by obras sociales" (art. 7 h) 7). How that applies now that prepagas receive contributions directly is not settled in the texts (unconfirmed).

What changes the answer

Age at entry. Joining at 60 means the over 65 freeze only starts after more than 10 years, at about 70 (Law art. 12).
Preexisting conditions. An SSSalud approved surcharge can be added for a set period (Annex art. 10).
Employment. Employees can offset contributions; voluntary members pay the whole fee.

Worked examples

A couple aged 35 and 60 join a mid tier plan, no preexisting conditions. Plan prices are assumptions, not taken from a published tariff (unconfirmed). Assumed band prices: youngest band ARS 360,000, age 35 band ARS 450,000, age 60 band ARS 900,000, VAT included (unconfirmed). Rate: dólar MEP ARS 1,563.90 per US$ on 23 Oct 2026, from some secondary summaries (unconfirmed) (live rate).

Step or item	Time	Cost ARS	Cost USD
Member aged 35	Monthly	450,000.00	287.74
Member aged 60	Monthly	900,000.00	575.48
Couple, fee	Monthly	1,350,000.00	863.23
Of which VAT at 10.5%	Monthly	128,280.54	82.03
Legal ceiling for the oldest band (3 x 360,000)	At contracting	1,080,000.00	690.58
Less contributions if the 35 year old is an employee on ARS 2,000,000	Monthly	(153,000.00)	(97.83)
Couple, out of pocket with derivation	Monthly	1,197,000.00	765.39

Fee: 450,000 + 900,000 = 1,350,000.
VAT inside the fee: 1,350,000 minus 1,350,000 / 1.105 = 128,280.54.
Age band check: 900,000 is 2.5 times the youngest band, within the 3 times cap (Law art. 17).
Contributions: 2,000,000 x 9% = 180,000; 85% = 153,000 to the prepaga (Law 23.660 arts. 16, 19). Whether a prepaga credits exactly the 85% it receives is a commercial term (unconfirmed).
Out of pocket: 1,350,000 minus 153,000 = 1,197,000.

Cost to do it: no sign up fee or capital is set by law; PMO services from day one; extras up to 12 months' wait.

Practical traps

Age band moves mid contract. The law only allows band pricing "at the time of contracting" (art. 17), yet SSSalud runs a complaint procedure for "undue age band increases" (SSSalud complaint page). When a mid contract band change is lawful is not settled in the texts. Get the band table in writing.
Switching prepaga restarts seniority. The 10 years count only in the same entity (Annex art. 12).
Co-payments. They are free outside exempt services since Res. MS 1926/2024 (Infoleg note to Res. MS 201/2002 Annex I). Compare co-payments, not only the fee.

FAQ

Is there a government price cap? No. Only the 3 times age band cap and the over 65 rule remain (Law art. 17, art. 12). Congressional review and court challenges to DNU 70/2023 were not checked (unconfirmed).

How often can the fee go up? The texts set no frequency limit. Each increase needs notice within 5 days after the CPI release and 30 days before payment (Annex art. 17).

Can I deduct the fee from income tax? Yes, up to 5% of net income for you and your dependants (Income Tax Law art. 85 f)).

Can I leave? Yes, at any time with 30 days' notice (Law art. 9), once a year under the regulation (Annex art. 9).

Published 27 Oct 2026 from our research draft. Points marked (unconfirmed) have not yet been checked against the official text; rely on the primary sources linked below.