Different models of Occupational Health Administration in Mexico

In Mexico, the OH is approached from several administrative schemes. There’re a Carta Magna article, a Federal Work Law, a Social Security Law, some Rulers and at least 5 government  instances: Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Instituto de Servicios y Seguridad Social para los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE), Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social (STPS), Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), State Governments, and private companies that help  in maintaining the normative standards. This fragmentation is not only structural, but also operative, as IMSS, ISSSTE, PEMEX and State Governments calculate and cash the impositive taxes, and offer the medical services and pensions, the inspection and sanction activities are the responsibility of the STPS. The problem begins with the lack of crossing information as the major OH instance is the IMSS, and it has the largest and most credible statistical numbers, the official statistical site is the InstitutoNacional de Estadistica, Geografia e Informática (INEGI), which has no other action on the OH. The private companies pay Social Security taxes which includes 5 different security plans: Work Risks and OH, Illness and Maternity, Life and Disability, Age Retirement and Social Facilities.  The tax is calculated on behalf of the worker, and includes the 5 plans mentioned above, and also includes illness and maternity for his family. By now, at the IMSS, it’s estimated there are 830,000 companies with 14.5 million “formal workers”, but gives medical service to nearly 50 million people, wich means a 1:2.5 ratio worker:relative.  At the ISSSTE, there are around 12 million people under coverage. The “informal workers” and their families (50% of the population) are covered by the Social Protection, mainly for medical assistance and social support, but have no laboral risks, disabilities and retirement coverage. The deficit in the System is almost 35 to 40 % of the GNP.