Claudia Salazar and Natalia Vitela
Reform Agency
Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | 2:57 p.m.
Mexico City.– The plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies discusses this Tuesday a legal reform that disappears the Institute of Health for Well-being (Insabi), returns rectory powers to the Ministry of Health and recognizes the IMSS-Bienestar as the executor of care for the population without social security.
The president of the Health Commission, the Morenista Emmanuel Reyes Carmona, presented the reform in a forum and requested the waiver of procedures.
He blamed the Covid-19 pandemic as the fact that prevented Insabi, with which Seguro Popular disappeared, from being able to operate effectively.
The proposal comes after Coneval has reported that the disappearance of Seguro Popular implied an increase of 15 million Mexicans who stopped having health care.
In recent weeks, the President has insisted that his government will end up with a better health system than Denmark’s.
With the initiative, the seventh article of the General Health Law is reformed, where changes are foreseen in the coordination of the National Health System between the Ministry of Health and the Insabi.
“For the purposes of the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Health Services of the Mexican Institute of Social Security for Well-being (IMSS-Bienestar) will collaborate with the Ministry of Health regarding the free provision of health services, medicines and Other associated inputs required by people without social security, within the framework of the Health System for Well-being.
“Likewise, Health Services of IMSS-Bienestar will participate in the consolidated contracting procedures that instrument, where appropriate, the Ministry of Health in the terms provided in the Law of Acquisitions, Leases and Services of the Public Sector and other applicable provisions, in those involved in the dependencies and entities of the Federal Public Administration that provide health services”, the reform states.
It adds that the IMSS-Bienestar will also participate in the consolidated purchase made by the federal entities with federal resources, whose purpose is the acquisition and distribution of medicines and other associated health supplies that are required for the provision of the referred services, in order to guarantee their supply.
The reform indicates that the Federation, through IMSS-Bienestar and in accordance with the applicable legal provisions, will propose the execution of coordination agreements with the governments of the federative entities regarding the provision of services.
“The collection of recovery fees for the provision of health services, medicines and other supplies associated with people without social security is prohibited,” the reform states.
The deputy Ector Jaime Ramírez (PAN) regretted that the reform proposal has been dispensed with the procedures.
