FEDERAL EXPENDITURE IN HEALTH FOR NON-INS URED POPULATION - MEXICO 1980-1995

In the last fifteen years Mexico suffered several economic crisis whic h have negatively affected public expenditure in social welfare and, a s a consequence, public expenditure in health. This paper discusses th e relationship between the adjustment policies adopted to confront the se crisis and public expenditure in health care for the non-insured po pulation, as well as the regional distribution of this expenditure. In part one, the evolution of general public expenditure, public expendi ture in social welfare, and public expenditure in health between 1980 and 1995 is described. In part two, the distribution of public health expenditure for the non-insured population among the five regions in w hich the country was divided by the National Health Survey II is discu ssed. The main conclusion of this paper is that, between 1980 and 1995 , the public expenditure gaps that have existed for a long time in Mex ico among regions remained unchanged. These gaps basically affect the southern states of the country, are not related to health needs, and m ay deepen in view of the new relative cuts in public expenditure in so cial welfare announced by the new administration.