Objective: Understand and quantify the relationship between socio-economic and health insurance profiles and the use of outpatient medical services in the context of universal health care in Mexico.
Materials and methods: Using ENSANUT 2012 multinomial regression models were estimated to analyze the use of outpatient services and associated factors.
Results: Population with greater poverty levels, lower educational level and living in highly marginalized areas have lower odds to use outpatient health services. In contrast, health insurance and higher income increase the odds to use health services and influence the choice of provider.
Conclusions: Barriers to access to health care related to poverty and social protection persist. However, there is space to lower the effect of these barriers by addressing constraints linked to the supply and the perceived quality of healthcare services.