Health Care systems

. The Structure of Access 🏛️

Mexico operates a segmented universal system, whereas the US has a fragmented market system.

Mexico's Public System: The system is tiered based largely on formal employment:

IMSS (Mexican Institute of Social Security): Covers formal sector workers (the largest segment).

INSABI (Institute of Health for Wellbeing): Covers the unemployed and those in the informal sector, providing free basic care.

The primary challenge is not the lack of coverage, but the quality, infrastructure, and waiting times within the public tiers, which often pushes citizens to pay out-of-pocket for private care.

US System: The system is dominated by private insurance. Being uninsured or underinsured is a major barrier to primary and specialty care, often resulting in care being delayed until it requires an expensive emergency room visit.

3. Patient Choice and Speed ⏳

The private sector in both countries offers better service, but the comparative advantage differs:

US: Patients with excellent private insurance have rapid access to specialists and hospitals but face high bureaucracy and massive costs if they seek care outside their network.

Mexico: Patients who can afford private care enjoy much shorter wait times, a high quality of service, and low costs compared to the US. Those r

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Key Contrasting Points

1. The Role of Cost and Price 💲

The most striking difference is cost. The US spends nearly three times more per capita than Mexico, yet the US has lower life expectancy and higher rates of financial hardship due to medical bills.

US: The high cost is driven by high prices for services, medications, and administrative complexity. Even with insurance, a procedure can be cripplingly expensive due to deductibles.

Mexico: Prices for the same medical procedures are often 50-80% lower than in the US, making it a destination for American medic