Doctors, nurses have made more than 27 million visits thanks to free home healthcare program: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds 🏥 Sheinbaum says universal healthcare card rollout is still limited to seniors: The president said the cards, which include each person’s CURP and will be linked to medical files with their consent, are the “first step” toward the Universal Health Service. She said authorities will gradually expand the card rollout to the entire population. A limited version of the new universal healthcare scheme begins Jan. 1, 2027. 🏠 Salud Casa por Casa has provided more than 27 million home consultations: Welfare Minister Leticia Ramírez said the free home healthcare program, which began in June 2025, serves seniors and people with disabilities. Of the consultations, 12.8 million were first visits, just over 8.3 million were second visits and 5.94 million were third visits. 🍺 Sheinbaum says government has no plans to cut alcohol taxes: Asked about a Labor Party bill to reduce the IEPS excise tax on alcoholic beverages, the president said the Finance and Health ministries would have to review it, but “for now we don’t intend to make any change.” Why today’s mañanera matters At her Tuesday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about the upcoming commencement of the Universal Health Service and the issuance of universal healthcare cards. As Mexico News Daily reported in April, the long-term goal of the Universal Health Service is to allow Mexicans (and eligible foreigners) to seek treatment at any public health institution — IMSS, IMSS Bienestar or ISSSTE — regardless of affiliation. A limited version of the new universal scheme is set to commence in January 2027, with additional healthcare services to be universalized in the coming years, according to Sheinbaum. The establishment of the Universal Health Service is one of various government healthcare initiatives. Another is the Salud Casa por Casa program, in which seniors and people with disabilities receive periodic visits from healthcare personnel in their homes. Welfare Minister Leticia Ramírez provided an update on the program on Tuesday morning. Also of note at today’s mañanera were the president’s remarks about a legislative proposal to reduce the IEPS tax on alcoholic beverages, which currently applies at a rate of 26.5%-53% depending on the alcohol content of the drink. Sheinbaum: Universal healthcare card rollout still limited to seniors Sheinbaum told reporters that the universal healthcare cards currently being issued to seniors include people’s CURP, or Unique Population Registry Code. She said that the CURP will be linked to people’s medical files, provided they give their consent. With the linking of medical files to universal healthcare cards, it becomes possible to commence the standardization of “healthcare services in the different institutions,” Sheinbaum said. The “first step” in the process toward the commencement of the Universal Health Service is the issuance of universal healthcare cards, she said. Sheinbaum said that authorities are currently issuing cards to seniors and will gradually extend the rollout to the rest of the population. “We’re beginning with seniors and little by little we’re going to expand this to the entire population,” she said. She said that when people are issued their universal healthcare cards, they will receive information about “which services will be universal” and how the system will work. Sheinbaum displayed a slide with images of the card people will receive. Text on the same slide said that the Universal Health Service will commence on Jan. 1, 2027. Sheinbaum said enrolled seniors will receive information about which services are universal upon receipt of their card. (Saúl López/Presidencia) “This is the card that everyone will receive,” Sheinbaum said. “… From Jan. 1 some services are going to be universal and we’re going to increase the [universal] services so that at the end of the six-year term of government, you can go to any healthcare center, doctor’s office or hospital regardless of which institution you are a beneficiary of,” she said. Salud Casa por Casa program has provided more than 27 million free medical consultations Ramírez told reporters that the Salud Casa por Casa program is “the largest health [promotion and disease] prevention program in the world.” She said that more than 27 million free medical consultations have been provided in people’s homes since the Salud Casa por Casa program began in June 2025. The welfare minister presented data that showed that 12.8 million consultations were first visits to the homes of seniors and people with disabilities. Just over 8.3 million consultations were second visits, while 5.94 million consultations were third visits. Ramírez said that the data show that the Salud Casa por Casa program doesn’t entail the provision of single “isolated” medical consultations. “It’s accompaniment, follow-up and prevention,” she said. “This is possible because health professionals — nurses and doctors — go from street to street, neighborhood to neighborhood, knocking on the doors of adults aged above 65 and people with disabilities,” Ramírez said as a video showing health workers making home visits played on screen. They provide “personalized care” on behalf of the federal government “for our mothers, grandparents, fathers, families and neighbors,” she said. Disease prevention “is also social justice,” Ramírez said. Sheinbaum says her government has no plans to cut alcohol taxes A reporter noted that there is a legislative proposal to reduce the IEPS excise tax on alcoholic beverages. She asked the president her opinion about the bill, which, if enacted, could encourage higher levels of alcohol consumption and impact federal tax collection. Sheinbaum said that the government has no plans to modify the IEPS tax that currently applies to alcohol. The bill was presented by Francisco Javier Guízar Macías, a deputy with the Labor Party, an ally of the ruling Morena party. Sheinbaum appeared to indicate that Morena — which has a majority in both houses of Congress — won’t support the bill. “The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health will have to review [the proposal], but for now we don’t intend to make any change,” she said.