Higher Inequality in Health Expenditures during Covid-19 Pandemic in Mexico

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this research is to delve deeper into how the problem of inequality in access to healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic worsened in Mexico. To address this important issue, the behavior of health expenditures of Mexican households was broken down through a descriptive statistical analysis using data from the National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure (ENIGH) for 2018, 2020, and 2022. The methodology includes the construction of income quintiles, types of expenditure, and the indicator of lack of access to health services. Additionally, a regional analysis was conducted. Our results show an overall increase in health expenditures of more than 30% between 2018 and 2022, with this phenomenon being more evident in households in the highest income quintile. Additionally, a significant deterioration in household well-being is observed, with greater vulnerability in households without access to health services, which have higher expenses compared to those with access to a health program. In regional terms, the southern part of the country showed higher health expenditures in proportion to their income, with a predominant focus on outpatient issues. These findings help identify the main problems of access and participation of households in absorbing health expenditures, suggesting the implementation of differentiated policy measures by the government aimed at improving access to health services and reducing potential catastrophic health-related expenses for households.