Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has issued a landmark decree to establish a Universal Health Service, initiating a process to ensure all 120 million citizens can access any public medical institution.
The first phase begins April 13 with the rollout of a new Universal Health Credential, starting with citizens aged 85 and older.
Mexico's President Sheinbaum Decrees Universal Healthcare for 120 Million pic.twitter.com/HDtogTTHHf — The Dive Feed (@TheDeepDiveFeed) April 9, 2026.
The plan marks a bold step toward equitable healthcare access, with the goal of allowing patients to seek treatment at any public hospital or clinic regardless of their specific employment-based enrollment.
While registration begins this month, the full exchange of medical services between these institutions is slated to begin on January 1, 2027.
The scale of the task is significant: Mexico’s public healthcare system serves a vast majority of the population, with facilities often operating at capacity.
IMSS and ISSSTE combined cover tens of millions of workers, and merging access without expanding physical infrastructure could strain resources further. »