Using Telehealth to Bridge Mexico’s Health Care Gap
<p>Although health care services in Mexico are provided free at the point of care, the public health system lacks the capacity to fully meet demand. Rather than enduring long wait times to see primary care providers and specialists, many people prefer to pay out of pocket to see private providers, despite the financial strain this creates. </p><p>But Mexico has one of Latin America’s most sophisticated telecommunications industries, as well as one of its fastest-growing middle classes. To the founders of MedicallHome, these two factors presented a market opportunity to expand access to health care through telemedicine. </p>
<p>The second installment in our series <em>Frugal Innovations in Health Care Delivery</em> examines this Mexico City–based venture, which provides provides 24/7 telephone access to licensed doctors, along with deeply discounted access to a large national network of clinics, labs, and hospitals. Targeted primarily to low- and middle-income households, packages are priced at $2 to $5 per month. </p>
<p>MedicallHome has expanded access to care in Mexico while reducing use of acute care for nonemergencies. With so many low-income and rural communities in the U.S. facing barriers to care, could this be a model worthy of adapting?</p>