The Mexican Institute of Social Security (, IMSS) is a

governmental A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

organization that assists

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

pension A pension (; ) is a fund into which amounts are paid regularly during an individual's working career, and from which periodic payments are made to support the person's retirement from work. A pension may be either a " defined benefit plan", wh ...

s and

social security Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...

in Mexico operating under the

Secretariat of Health The Secretariat of Health ( Spanish: ''Secretaría de Salud'') is the government department in charge of all social health services in Mexico, and an integral part of the Mexican health system. The Secretary of Health is a member of the Executive ...

. It also forms an integral part of the Mexican healthcare system.

History

The IMSS was founded by

Mexican President The president of Mexico (), officially the president of the United Mexican States (), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Constitution of Mexico, the president heads the executive branch of the federal government and ...

Manuel Ávila Camacho Manuel Ávila Camacho (; 24 April 1897 – 13 October 1955) was a Mexican politician and military leader who served as the president of Mexico from 1940 to 1946. Despite participating in the Mexican Revolution and achieving a high rank, he cam ...

on January 19, 1943 to satisfy the legal precepts established in the Article 123 of the

Mexican Constitution The current Constitution of Mexico, formally the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States (), was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, in the State of Querétaro, Mexico, by a constituent convention during the Mexican Revolution. I ...

. It is constituted by representations of the workers, employers, and the federal government. It is the largest social welfare institution in all Latin America. For some time, however, there have been festering signs of trouble in IMSS, such as serious financial problems that came to a head in early November 2010.

Directors-General

Mexican Social Security Law

The Mexican Social Security law currently in effect, published in the Official Journal of the Federation (21 December 1995), is the legislative domain under which the IMSS carries out its operations. Currently the law indicates that Social Security has the following purposes: * Medical assistance * Protection of basic necessities of subsistence * Social services necessary for individual and collective well-being * Giving out a pension which, depending on the completion of the legal prerequisites, will be guaranteed by the State The law contemplates two domains, an "obligatory" one (funded by individual, employer and state contributions), and a "voluntary" one (aimed at workers in household industries and self-employed professionals). The following items are excluded from the base quoted salary: * Tools of trade such as tools and clothing * Savings deposits, when they are made up of a weekly, biweekly or monthly deposit equally from the worker and the employer * Additional voluntary contributions * Contributions to INFONAVIT * Food and lodging when they are given in an onerous manner * Payments in coin or cash * Rewards for attendance and punctuality * Overtime, within limits established by law

External links

IMSS website
{{commons Government agencies of Mexico Medical and health organizations based in Mexico 1943 establishments in Mexico Organizations established in 1943

History

Directors-General

Mexican Social Security Law

Further reading

External links