[Health reform and its political component: a feasibility analysis]

The political dimension of the health reform is a fundamental aspect that not only influences the project's feasibility, but also its form and content. Therefore the study of the political aspects involved in the health reform process is essential to determine the political feasibility of the reform. Based on the case studies of Colombia and Mexico, this study concentrates on the State's capability to promote health reform projects successfully. It specifically focuses on those elements that seek to improve the political feasibility of formulating, legislating and implementing reform proposals. The relevant variables under study are: the institutional context in which the reform initiatives develop; the political dynamic of the reform process; and the characteristics and strategies of the teams in charge of leading the reforms (change teams). The similarities in the political strategies used by the teams in charge of the health reform, and those of similar technocratic teams in charge of economic reform, stand out as one the study's main findings. It is argued that, although these strategies were effective in bringing about the creation of new actors in the health sector such as private organizations for the financing and provision of health services, they did not have the same impact on the transformation of the old actors the health ministries and the social security institutes, therefore considerably limiting the scope of the reforms.