Mexico: Marginality, Need, and Resource Allocation at the County Level

Abstract This chapter presents the case of Mexico, which reveals the fact that district/provincial expenditures in health care are inversely related to need, a case in point of the “inverse care law.” Mexico is a middle-income country facing a double burden of infectious and chronic disease and engaged in health sector reform and decentralization. Using the marginality index developed by the Mexican government, the chapter employs a policy-relevant mechanism for highlighting disparity and mapping the intersection of marginality, membership in an indigenous group, and rural poverty. It outlines the implications of the analyses for resource allocation to meet the differential needs for health care more equitably in marginalized areas.