[Seguro Popular's initial evaluation of household catastrophic health spending in Mexico]

Estimating Seguro Popular de Salud's (SPS) initial outcome regarding households' catastrophic health spending (CHS). The relationship of other important factors to the CE was also estimated.

A cross-sectional study, based on evaluating Seguro Popular's survey, was carried out in the Mexican states of Colima and Campeche during 2002; it was carried out during the first semester of 2005. SPS and other co-variables' relationship with CHS was estimated by using the probit model. Such relationship was then estimated again using the bi-probit model, but taking endogeneity between CHS and SPS affiliation into consideration. Some simulations led to a detailed analysis of the influence of the use by type of service on the CHS.

The probability of SPS-affiliated households incurring CHS was about 8% less than un-affiliated households (controlled for other co-variables and corrected for endogeneity). The probability of incurring CHS was always less for affiliated people, independently of the income bracket which they belonged to and the kind of services used.

The results suggested that SPS is financially protecting households; nevertheless, the goal of a 75 % reduction in CHS has still to be achieved.