Life expectancy and healthy-adjusted life expectancy in Mexico by social security status

Mexican health system is organized around social security (SS) entitlement, dividing the population into insured and uninsured groups, which represents a potential source of health inequity. The objective is to analyze life expectancy (LE) and healthy-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) between both populations.

Ecological study was conducted at national and state levels for 2020, disaggregated by sex. LE and HALE for both populations were estimated. Statistical differences between them were assessed using Student's t-test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test, depending on the normality of the distributions.

LE was higher in younger groups for population with SS when men and women were analyzed together, as well as for men independently. This pattern reversed at ages 30-34, after which the group without SS exhibited higher LE. However, these differences were not statistically significant. For HALE, the group without SS showed lower values across all age groups. These differences were statistically significant. Findings at state level were consistent with those observed at national level.

LE didn't differ significantly between both populations. Nevertheless, the population with SS exhibited higher HALE, suggesting closer contact with health services. Therefore, the organization of the Mexican health system around SS may be a determinant in the generation of health inequities by segregating the Mexican population.