Author Description

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) may not imply changes in the immigration laws of its signatories, but it will make it easier for people to move freely among Canada, Mexico, and the United States. One of the concerns arising from NAFTA involves meeting the health care needs of people who move from one member country to another. The publication analyzes the legal implications of the access to health care by individuals from NAFTA countries who are temporarily working or residing in another member country. The book compares the health systems of Canada, the United States, and Mexico, focusing on their principles and objectives, legal framework, institutional structure, operational modalities, and outcomes. Detailing the similarities and differences among the systems of these three countries, this publication attempts to anticipate the treaty's potential benefit or detriment to access to health care services and examines the expectations and concerns that free trade generates in this respect.