Mexico’s current national health-care push is aimed at universal, free access to public health services for Mexicans, including people without social security, through a new “Universal Health Service” / health-card system announced in April 2026. It is being rolled out in phases, with older adults registering first, and the government says access should be available regardless of insurance affiliation.novaramedia+1
The model described in current reporting is still a mixed public system, so funding comes from several sources rather than one single national tax. Public care is financed by the federal government, state governments, and payroll-based contributions in systems like IMSS; the newer plan also points to pooling and better-targeted federal spending.internationalinsurance+1
For many workers in IMSS, the cost is effectively paid through automatic paycheck deductions, with the employer and government also contributing. For people outside social security, public care is meant to be free at the point of use, though in practice Mexico has long had gaps that push some patients into out-of-pocket spending, especially for medicines or care not available in the public system.thedocs.worldbank+2
Coverage is intended to include medicines, but this is one of the system’s weakest points in practice. Sources note that public programs can provide prescriptions free or subsidized, yet shortages, outdated medicine lists, and uneven distribution have often forced patients to buy drugs themselves; current reporting on the universal-access push says the goal is to reduce those gaps.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+2
The government’s stated goal is universal access for Mexican citizens, not just formal social-security members, and one report specifically says “any Mexican” can access the public and free system regardless of affiliation. A separate report says dual citizens can also access the service while in Mexico.heraldousa+1
The big open question is implementation: Mexico has announced the policy direction, but full integration of institutions, reliable medicine supply, and exact financing mechanics are still being worked out. That means the promise is broad and universal, but the real experience may still vary by region, clinic, and medicine availability during rollout.novaramedia+2