Summary (English)

This case study, published by the World Bank, assesses key features and achievements of the Social Protection System in Health (Sistema de Proteccion Social en Salud, SPSS) in Mexico, and particularly of its main pillar, Popular Health Insurance (Seguro Popular, PHI). It analyzes the contribution of this policy to the establishment and implementation of universal health coverage in Mexico. The document provides a general health system overview of financing and delivery; analyses the SPSS institutional architecture and interaction with the rest of the health system; elaborates on the targeting, identification and enrolment of beneficiaries; analyses the management of the Health Coverage Programme's benefits package as well as the information environment of this programme; assesses main achievements and impact on the health system; and points out the main challenges the health system in general faces to improve health outcomes, reduce inequalities, and improve financial protection.

The case study is part of the World Bank's Universal Health Coverage Study Series, which comprises studies on 22 countries and Massachusetts analyzing the “nuts and bolts” of programs that have expanded coverage from the bottom up—programs that have started with the poor and vulnerable rather than those initiated in a trickle-down fashion. The protocol, studies, and technical papers contribute to discussions about universal health coverage, provide implementers with an expanded toolbox, and inform the universal health coverage movement as it continues to expand worldwide.

See the full collection of the Universal Health Coverage Study Series.