[The health system of Mexico]. / Sistema de salud de México.

This paper describes the Mexican health system. In part one, the health conditions of the Mexican population are discussed, with emphasis in those emerging diseases that are now the main causes of death, both in men and women: diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases and cancer. Part two is devoted to the description of the basic structure of the system: its main institutions, the population coverage, the health benefits of those affiliated to the different heath institutions, its financial sources, the levels of financial protection in health, the availability of physical, material and human resources for health, and the stewardship functions displayed by the Ministry of Health and other actors. This part also discusses the role of citizens in the monitorization and evaluation of the health system, as well as the levels of satisfaction with the rendered health services. In part three the most recent innovations and its impact on the performance of the health system are discussed. Salient among them are the System of Social Protection in Health and the Popular Health Insurance. The paper concludes with a brief analysis of the short- and middle-term challenges faced by the Mexican health system.

Evidence is good for your health system: policy reform to remedy catastrophic and impoverishing health spending in Mexico.

Absence of financial protection in health is a recently diagnosed "disease" of health systems. The most obvious symptom is that families face economic ruin and poverty as a consequence of financing their health care. Mexico was one of the first countries to diagnose the problem, attribute it to lack of financial protection, and propose systemic therapy through health reform. In this article we assess how Mexico turned evidence on catastrophic and impoverishing health spending into a catalyst for institutional renovation through the reform that created Seguro Popular (Popular Health Insurance). We present 15-year trends on the evolution of catastrophic and impoverishing health spending, including evidence on how the situation is improving. The results of the Mexican experience suggest an important role for the organisation and financing of the health system in reducing impoverishment and protecting households during periods of individual and collective financial crisis.

[Evidence is good for your health system: policy reform to remedy catastrophic and impoverishing health spending in Mexico]. / Las evidencias benefician al sistema de salud: reforma para remediar el gasto catastrófico y empobrecedor en salud en México.

Absence of financial protection in health is a recently diagnosed "disease" of health systems. The most obvious symptom is that families face economic ruin and poverty as a consequence of financing their health care. Mexico was one of the first countries to diagnose the problem, attribute it to lack of financial protection, and propose systemic therapy through health reform. In this article we assess how Mexico turned evidence on catastrophic and impoverishing health spending into a catalyst for institutional renovation through the reform that created Seguro Popular de Salud (Popular Health Insurance). We present 15-year trends on the evolution of catastrophic and impoverishing health spending, including evidence on how the situation is improving. The results of the Mexican experience suggest an important role for the organisation and financing of the health system in reducing impoverishment and protecting households during periods of individual and collective financial crisis.

Sistema de salud de México / The health system of Mexico

En este trabajo se describe el sistema mexicano de salud. En la primera parte se discuten las condiciones de salud de la población mexicana, con énfasis en los padecimientos emergentes que constituyen las principales causas de muerte: diabetes, enfermedades isquémicas del corazón, padecimientos cerebrovasculares y cáncer. En la segunda parte se describe la estructura básica del sistema: las instituciones que lo conforman, la población a la que cubre, los beneficios que reciben los afiliados de las distintas instituciones, las fuentes de financiamiento del sistema, los niveles de protección financiera alcanzados, los recursos físicos, materiales y humanos con los que cuenta y las principales tareas de rectoría que desarrollan la Secretaría de Salud y otros actores. También se describen los mecanismos de participación de los ciudadanos en la vigilancia y evaluación del desempeño del sistema y su nivel de satisfacción con los servicios recibidos. La tercera parte se dedica a discutir las innovaciones más recientes y su impacto en la operación del sistema. Destaca la discusión del recién creado Sistema de Protección Social en Salud y su brazo operativo, el Seguro Popular de Salud. El trabajo concluye con un análisis de los principales retos que enfrenta en el corto y mediano plazo el sistema mexicano de salud.

This paper describes the Mexican health system. In part one, the health conditions of the Mexican population are discussed, with emphasis in those emerging diseases that are now the main causes of death, both in men and women: diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases and cancer. Part two is devoted to the description of the basic structure of the system: its main institutions, the population coverage, the health benefits of those affiliated to the different heath institutions, its financial sources, the levels of financial protection in health, the availability of physical, material and human resources for health, and the stewardship functions displayed by the Ministry of Health and other actors. This part also discusses the role of citizens in the monitorization and evaluation of the health system, as well as the levels of satisfaction with the rendered health services. In part three the most recent innovations and its impact on the performance of the health system are discussed. Salient among them are the System of Social Protection in Health and the Popular Health Insurance. The paper concludes with a brief analysis of the short- and middle-term challenges faced by the Mexican health system.

[Medical insurance coverage in Mexico]. / Estimación de la población con seguro de salud en México mediante una encuesta nacional.

OBJECTIVE: To present estimates of health insurance coverage in Mexico and discuss the differences among some sources of information. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Based on a national survey performed in 2002, the percentage of insurance coverage was estimated by state, rural condition, and expenditure level. RESULTS: The percentage of the population without medical insurance is 59.9%. The main insurance institution is the Mexican Institute for Social Security (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, IMSS), with a coverage of 29.5%. Private insurance agencies cover 1.5% of the total population. There are huge differences in insurance coverage by state, expenditure level and social exclusion level. CONCLUSIONS: Data on insurance coverage provided by Mexico's main social security institution differ from that obtained through population-based studies. Some of these differences may be due to probabilistic reasons and others to macroeconomic changes. However, these reasons had not been sufficiently explored. In depth studies are needed in order to explain the observed differences.

Las evidencias benefician al sistema de salud: reforma para remediar el gasto catastrófico y empobrecedor en salud en México / Evidence is good for your health system: policy reform to remedy catastrophic and impoverishing health spending in Mexico

La falta de protección financiera en salud es una enfermedad recientemente diagnosticada de los sistemas de salud. El síntoma más obvio es que las familias enfrentan la ruina económica y el empobrecimiento por financiar su atención médica. México fue uno de los primeros países en diagnosticar el problema, atribuirlo a la falta de protección financiera y proponer una terapia sistémica a través de la reforma del sistema de salud. Este trabajo analiza la manera en que México convirtió las evidencias sobre los gastos catastróficos y empobrecedores en salud en un catalizador de la renovación institucional a través de la reforma que creó el Seguro Popular de Salud (SPS). Presentamos tanto las tendencias de los últimos 15 años sobre la evolución de los gastos catastróficos y emprobrecedores en salud, como las evidencias recientes sobre el mejoramiento en estos indicadores con la expansión del SP. Los resultados de la experiencia mexicana sugieren que la organización y el financiamiento del sistema de salud han jugado un papel muy importante en la reducción del empobrecimiento y en la protección de los hogares durante los periodos de crisis financiera individual y colectiva.

Absence of financial protection in health is a recently diagnosed "disease" of health systems. The most obvious symptom is that families face economic ruin and poverty as a consequence of financing their health care. Mexico was one of the first countries to diagnose the problem, attribute it to lack of financial protection, and propose systemic therapy through health reform. In this article we assess how Mexico turned evidence on catastrophic and impoverishing health spending into a catalyst for institutional renovation through the reform that created Seguro Popular de Salud (Popular Health Insurance). We present 15-year trends on the evolution of catastrophic and impoverishing health spending, including evidence on how the situation is improving. The results of the Mexican experience suggest an important role for the organisation and financing of the health system in reducing impoverishment and protecting households during periods of individual and collective financial crisis.