Healthcare
Mexico — Healthcare: Public Healthcare
Mexico's public healthcare landscape includes IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, for formal-sector employees), ISSSTE (for state workers), and IMSS-Bienestar — the free safety-net system covering roughly 70 million people without formal social security, including informal workers, the unemployed, and foreign residents with a valid CURP; care, medications, and supplies are free at point of use with no premiums, copays, or deductibles. On 7 April 2026, President Claudia Sheinbaum's government formalized the Servicio Universal de Salud (SUS), a framework to integrate IMSS, ISSSTE, and IMSS-Bienestar into a single system letting citizens access care across all institutions regardless of employment/affiliation status. Rollout began in 2026 with a credentialing process (starting with adults over 85) and a registration/eligibility-check mobile app launched in March 2026; appointment scheduling, digital records, and teleconsultation features are planned for a 2027 update.
Key facts
- IMSS-Bienestar is free at point of care (no premiums/copays/deductibles) for the ~70 million people without formal social security, including foreign residents with a valid CURP.
- Servicio Universal de Salud (SUS), formalized 7 April 2026, aims to unify IMSS/ISSSTE/IMSS-Bienestar into one cross-accessible system.
- SUS rollout began 2026 with credentialing (starting age 85+) and a March 2026 mobile eligibility-check app; scheduling/digital records/teleconsultation planned for 2027.
- Foreign residents with a valid CURP can access IMSS-Bienestar.
Timelines
- SUS framework formalized: 7 April 2026
- SUS registration/eligibility app launch: March 2026
- SUS scheduling/digital records/teleconsultation update: planned 2027
Required documents
- CURP (for IMSS-Bienestar access)
Common mistakes
- Assuming INSABI still exists — it was dissolved in 2023 and replaced by IMSS-Bienestar, now being folded into the new SUS framework.