Registration for Mexico's Universal Health ID (Credencial Universal de Salud) has been marred by severe technical failures that are preventing data entry on the official platform. In various parts of the country, service modules are operating without an active system, forcing staff to rely on manual methods to collect information from beneficiaries.
The issue primarily affects seniors over the age of 85, the only group currently eligible for the process. According to reports from La Silla Rota, a lack of connectivity and the absence of the digital platform have stalled the flow of applications since the start of the rollout.
At Mexico City's Siglo XXI Medical Center, Bienestar staff reported that the system will not be operational until next week. Faced with this situation, workers have been forced to record applicants' names in notebooks and take physical fingerprints.
Manual registration across several states
This contingency situation is being repeated in states such as Hidalgo and Campeche. In these regions, module supervisors assured that once platform access is restored, they will proceed to upload the manually collected information to contact users.
The program's original timeline has also been modified. Although it was initially announced that registration would begin on March 2, 2026, a lack of preparedness at the service modules forced the date to be pushed back to April 13.
Foot traffic at service centers has been low, a phenomenon some sectors attribute to a lack of public awareness regarding the program. Many seniors who arrived to complete the process were forced to leave without finishing because their data could not be entered into the system.
In addition to technical hurdles, there is significant public distrust regarding the handling of biometric information. As journalist Ignacio Gómez Villaseyor points out, fears persist that data could be intercepted by cybercriminals.
This concern is rooted in the history of cyberattacks targeting various government agencies over the last eight years. Despite data protection guarantees issued by the government, the lack of certainty regarding how information is used continues to limit participation in the registration process.
