Co-Designing a Health Services Cooperative in Mexico
Adolfo J. Acosta Aguayo’s report explores whether a health services cooperative could address the deep fragmentation of Mexico’s healthcare system. Public provision remains uneven and underfunded, while private care is often inaccessible, leaving large gaps in coverage and working conditions. Drawing on participatory research with physicians in Monterrey and lessons from Brazil’s Unimed and Spain’s Fundación Espriu, the study moves from a general idea of physician ownership toward a more grounded proposal: a multi-stakeholder elderly care cooperative. The model combines doctors, caregivers, patients, and families in shared governance, with digital tools supporting coordination rather than driving the system. The report argues that cooperative healthcare could restore professional autonomy while expanding equitable access.
Acosta Aguayo, Adolfo J. Co-Designing a Health Services Cooperative in Mexico. New York: Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy, 2026.