Findings from University of Bergen Provides New Data about Health and Medicine (Who Benefits From Free Health Insurance? Evidence From Mexico): Health and Medicine

2023 MAR 09 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on Health and Medicine have been published. According to news reporting from Bergen, Norway, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “We present a comprehensive evaluation of the health impacts of the introduction and expansion of a large noncontributory health insurance program in Mexico, the Seguro Popular (SP), which provided access to health services without co-pays to individuals with no Social Security protection. We identify the program impacts using its rollout across municipalities between 2002 and 2010.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the University of Bergen, “In general, we do not detect significant effects on mortality (overall or at any age); the only exception is a reduction in infant mortality in poor municipalities for which intention to-treat estimates show a 10 percent decline due to SP. This decline is attributable to reductions in deaths associated with conditions originating in the perinatal period, congenital malformations, diarrhea, and respiratory infections. In these poor municipalities, SP increased obstetric-related hospital admissions by 7 percent and hospital admissions among infants by 6 percent. There were no impacts on mortality or use of hospitals in rich municipalities.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “The decline in infant mortality rate caused by SP closed nearly all of the infant mortality rate gap between poor and rich municipalities.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Who Benefits From Free Health Insurance? Evidence From Mexico. Journal of Human Resources, 2023;58(1). Journal of Human Resources can be contacted at: Univ Wisconsin Press, Journal Division, 728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, Wi, United States.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Rita Ginja, University of Bergen, Dept. of Economics, Bergen, Norway.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.58.3.1117-9157r2. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)