Posted on 29,973 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?

29,973 thoughts on “Access to Healthcare for Immigrants”

  8. Discover elegance with the Lustra LED 104W Krystal 4 Gold from lustre-eco.ro, perfect for adding a touch of sophistication to any room. a href=”https://lustre-eco.ro/image/cache/catalog/lustra-led-104w-krystal-4-gold-led-inclus-5-surse-de-iluminare-telecomanda-dimabil-lumina-cald-natural-rece-rgb-510-1100×1100.jpg”>Lustra LED 104W Krystal 4 Gold LED

    Reply

  10. Initial You got a awesome blog .I determination be involved in plus uniform minutes. i view you got truly very functional matters, i determination be always checking your blog blesss. 한국야동

    Reply

  13. Sambutlah keberuntungan di situs fastbet99 terbaik! Temukan peluang kemenangan yang tanpa terbatas di sini.

    Reply

  14. Temukan keberuntungan di situs fastbet99 tergacor! Temukan peluang kemenangan yang sangat menggiurkan.

    Reply

  17. Very efficiently written information about home décor home Improvement Garden and Flooring. It will be beneficial to anybody who utilizes it, including me. Keep up the good work. For sure I will check out more posts. This site seems to get a good amount of visitors for Link Building : home write for us

    Reply

  18. “Superb, what a weblog it is! This webpage presents helpful data to us, keep it up.

    ” 티비몬

    Reply

  19. Bermian slot gacor di website starbet99 terbaik! Dapatkan kemenangan berlimpah langsung full senyum .

    Reply

  20. cricket updates Whether it’s live scores, match results, or breaking news about your favorite teams and players, we’ve got it all covered!

    Reply

  21. Dapatkan keberuntungan di situs hokibet99 terbaik! Temukan sensasi kemenangan langsung menggiurkan .

    Reply

  24. “It’s amazing to visit this web site and reading the views of all mates regarding this piece of writing, while I am also eager of getting experience.

    ” 툰코

    Reply

  25. spinrioapp is an engaging casinoapp featuring a variety of slot games and live dealer options for an exciting and rewarding gaming experience.

    Reply

  36. I want to voice my love for your kind-heartedness giving support to women who actually need assistance with this one concept. Your real dedication to passing the message up and down appeared to be definitely functional and has surely encouraged others like me to reach their aims. Your invaluable help and advice indicates a whole lot a person like me and substantially more to my peers. With thanks; from all of us. ricorsi

    Reply

  40. This type of looks entirely finest. These tiny details are usually made along with a lot of foundation details. I prefer in which a lot. darčeky na narodeniny

    Reply

  44. This form of message constantly inspiring and that i prefer to read quality content material, so happy to discover accurate area to many here inside the publish, the writing is just first rate, thanks for the publish. doujin sak

    Reply

  45. Hi! I just would like to give you a huge thumbs up for the terrific advice you’ve got here on this write-up. I will be coming to your website for more in the near future. Plugplay

    Reply

  46. duototo Is one of the best and most trusted online digital entertainment platforms in Indonesia

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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