Mexico Healthcare Vs Us Healthcare

Healthcare in the United States vs Healthcare in Mexico The healthcare policies in Mexico and the United States are similar in that both healthcare systems utilize a combination of public and private insurance (freecontentweb.com). Healthcare has rapidly become an important topic in many countries. This comparison will focus on similarities in healthcare reform, healthcare access, healthcare cost, and healthcare insurance availability of both countries. Prior to healthcare reform in the US and Mexico, millions of people did not have access to healthcare due to the cost and lack of insurance. Healthcare reform was established to improve the accessibility, affordability, and quality of health care in both countries. In addition to the accessibility,

The majority of healthcare coverage in Mexico is public insurance that is partially paid by the employer and partially paid by the employee, based on their salary, through the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) that provides coverage for salaried formal employees (Frenk & Knaul, 2005). Private insurance in Mexico is available only to the wealthy. The majority of healthcare coverage in the United States is employer sponsored private insurance, in which the employer pays a portion of the premium and the employee pays the other portion. The public programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, in the U.S. are funded through taxes. Medicare covers residents who are age 65 or older, or have qualifying disabilities. Medicaid provides coverage for low income individuals, families, and the disabled. The State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, was established by the federal government ten years ago to provide health insurance to children in families at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line

because the population in the U.S. is approximately three times that of Mexico. However, because the healthcare system in Mexico is similar to the healthcare in the United States, Mexican immigrants are less likely to access and utilize healthcare in the US. Anna Gorman with Kaiser Health News, states that research is showing that many Mexican immigrants are driving south across the border of Mexico to seek medical care because of cost and language barriers. Gorman states that these individuals are drawn to the less hurried medical environment that offers affordable prices. With the increase in demand for affordable medical care and long waits for appointments in the United States, the possibility of Americans seeking medical care in Mexico grows. Even having good health insurance is no guarantee of getting the best health care in the US and copays and deductibles still make it hard for most families to afford healthcare. Families covered by health plans without disabilities receive good coverage, however if the family has patients with special needs, they find themselves with limited coverage. In addition, should the employer change health insurance companies, families may be limited or without trusted specialty physicians to care for their loved ones. Quality of care and cost of care are major concerns for many people especially aging individuals, more so in the United States. With an increase in Alzheimer’s and