Posted on 46,894 Comments on Access to Healthcare for Immigrants

Access to Healthcare for Immigrants

Access to healthcare can be determined by several factors (i.e. geographical location, income, insurance)–being an immigrant, especially a recent immigrant to the U.S., is one of these factors. In Albany, NY, the immigrant population has grown over the past few years and currently, 13.2% of the population consists of individuals that were not born in the U.S. (1). Coming to a new country presents many unique challenges, but access to healthcare is one that can prevent individuals from adjusting well and living a safe and healthy lifestyle.

Health Insurance

Due to their lack of citizenship after first moving to the U.S., health insurance options can be limited for immigrants, especially for undocumented immigrants (2). This limits access to many providers who only accept patients with insurance, and while undocumented immigrants can sometimes receive care from community health centers, this care is often only basic primary care or to be used in emergencies (2).

In New York state, all children can receive the Child Health Plus plan, regardless of their immigration status. This plan is comprehensive and includes preventative care, well-child visits, and emergency services (3). Additionally, pregnant women can receive Medicaid regardless of immigration status and some documented immigrants may qualify for the Essential Plan soon after they move to NY (2). However, if an individual does not fit into these categories, the only services that an undocumented immigrant may receive are emergency services (2). While this is beneficial, it leaves out the preventative care and services that can treat symptoms before they worsen beyond control.

Translation Services & Health Literacy

Many immigrant families, especially when they first immigrate to the U.S., are considered to have low English proficiency (LEP). This makes communication in healthcare settings a challenge and can be a barrier to receiving quality care, as the patient and provider cannot have a direct, fluid conversation. Some health care settings in New York have put up this ‘Language Identification Tool Poster’ that allows patients to point to their language, so that appropriate translation services may be provided.  A portion of the poster is shown below, with a link to the full poster here:

While resources such as this poster can help, patients and providers would still not be able to speak directly to each other, and would only be able to communicate through a translator.

Additionally, understanding health insurance options can also be difficult when there is a language barrier, as there are different requirements for each plan. A search engine can be found here for in-person help. This search engine consists of a directory of in-person helpers that can assist individuals in navigating the health system and health insurance plans specifically. While only eight languages are supported, including English, this service can benefit some individuals in understanding how to receive health services for themselves and their families.

COVID-19

With the current pandemic, language barriers present a unique challenge in being able to transmit public health information clearly to the general population. As immigrants make up a large portion of the population, it is essential that they understand basic information about the virus and are able to practice appropriate measures to limit the spread of the virus. Valleywise Health Medical Center in Arizona has made a series of videos available on Youtube that describe what COVID-19 is and what to do if you are sick. These videos have been made available in 12 languages, one of which can be played below.

These videos can be incredibly helpful for individuals that may not understand what is happening in their local communities as a result the virus, but coming across these videos may not be common for many immigrants, as they require some searching. It would therefore be helpful for similar resources and information to be sent to or made available to local communities, either in the style of videos or in pamphlet form.

While many resources exist to help immigrants navigate the healthcare system and obtain information about resources, these resources are not always used or made readily available to immigrant families. Many require searching and prior knowledge about websites and organizations that usually provide public health, insurance, and language services. In the future, it would be important to ensure that immigrants are aware of the resources that exist so that they can have access to the healthcare that they might need. What are some ways this could be done?

46,894 thoughts on “Access to Healthcare for Immigrants”

  3. Judi Online https://kinerja.stt-su.ac.id/slot-zeus/ tempat terbaik untuk Anda yang mencari pengalaman bermain slot yang seru dan menguntungkan. Dengan berbagai permainan slot menarik, fitur menarik, dan bonus yang melimpah, situs ini akan memuaskan kebutuhan judi online Anda.

    Reply

  5. Thanks for Nice and Informative Post. This article is really contains lot more information about This Topic. 
    juneteenth

    Reply

  6. Excellent points?I would notice that as someone who in reality doesn’t write on blogs a lot (actually, this can be my first publish), I don’t assume the paginas web cdmx

    Reply

  13. JET178 merupakan situs slot gacor online terpercaya pasti hoki yang menyediakan tempat untuk para pemain slot Indonesia bermain judi online dengan berbagai fasilitas termewah dan menguntungkan. slot gacor online

    Reply

  23. I definitely enjoying every little bit of it. It is a great website and nice share. I want to thank you. Good job! You guys do a great blog, and have some great contents. Keep up the good work. พนันบอล

    Reply

  24. Great write-up, I am a big believer in commenting on blogs to inform the blog writers know that they’ve added something worthwhile to the world wide web!.. apk nekopoi versi 2.1

    Reply

  25. Your post is very helpful to get some effective tips to reduce weight properly. You have shared various nice photos of the same. I would like to thank you for sharing these tips. Surely I will try this at home. Keep updating more simple tips like this. 
    flowercart

    Reply

  26. Selamat datang di QQDEWA daftar link situs games online gacor terbaik 2024, Situs yang sudah banyak mendapatkan kepercayaan dari pemain game online. qq dewa

    Reply

  28. MPO888 merupakan situs login pusat hiburan online yang terkenal cuan hingga milyaran rupiah untuk gamers hanya di mpo888 dengan link resmi terbaru. slot online

    Reply

  31. Pedimos desculpas por qualquer inconveniente causado. Se você tiver dúvidas, entre em contato com nosso centro de atendimento ao cliente. 16 dewa

    Reply

  33. Sip33 di tahun 2024 sebagai situs judi slot online dan slot88 gacor terpercaya hari ini banyak memberikan keuntungan bagi setiap member yang tergabung dengan platform terbaik kami, maka daftarkan diri kalian segera. situs slot online

    Reply

  34. Remarkable article, it is particularly useful! I quietly began in this, and I’m becoming more acquainted with it better! Delights, keep doing more and extra impressive! slot dana

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *