Mexican president seeks to revamp health care for poor

"More than half the population has no health insurance," Lopez Obrador said. "So this program is for them. It is for everybody, but the emphasis is to care for those with no insurance, the poorest people."

At present they are treated at a patchwork of state and local clinics, which often don't have the level of care or medications they need.

But under the new plan, they would be eligible for emergency treatment at hospitals in the two other, better-funded systems. Lopez Obrador pledged to improve funding and staffing at the federal facilities.

Lopez Obrador also said the federal government would take responsibility for treating everyone in eight states in the impoverished southeast, the first to join the plan. Mexico's other 24 states would be added eight at a time, so all would be covered within two years.

Lopez Obrador put special emphasis on providing medications; while Mexicans can often get the diagnosis, the medicines they need often simply aren't available at hospitals and clinics.

Patients are often forced to buy medications at private pharmacies with their own funds, and there have been many instances of fraud and corruption in the bidding to supply medications the government does buy.

Lopez Obrador said he would invite the United Nations to oversee purchasing programs to ensure transparency.