Posted on 44,415 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?

44,415 thoughts on “Access to Healthcare for Immigrants”

  3. jangan sampai salah pilih situs , hanya di sini yang akan menghasilkan kemenangan dan bukan kerungkatad sobat777

    Reply

  4. Generate stunning AI product photography with ease using our AI photo shoot technology. Transform your marketing visuals with high-quality, professional AI product photos tailored to showcase your products in the best light. Perfect for e-commerce, advertising, and brand promotion. ai product photography

    Reply

  5. Great job for publishing such a beneficial web site. Your web log isn’t only useful but it is additionally really creative too. There tend to be not many people who can certainly write not so simple posts that artistically. Continue the nice writing เข้าสู่ระบบufabet

    Reply

  11. HappyToon 해피툰 : which has the largest number of webtoons currently being serialized. 해피툰

    Reply

  20. Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! 뉴토끼

    Reply

  24. Very interesting blog. Alot of blogs I see these days don’t really provide anything that I’m interested in, but I’m most definately interested in this one. Just thought that I would post and let you know. 뉴토끼

    Reply

  26. You know your projects stand out of the herd. There is something special about them. It seems to me all of them are really brilliant! 뉴토끼

    Reply

  27. Very useful post. This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. Really its great article. Keep it up. 뉴토끼

    Reply

  28. Ligaplay88 merupakan situs taruhan game online liga play 88 Asia resmi, daftar ligaplay88 mainkan permainan slot online terlengkap dengan uang asli. liga play 88 slot

    Reply

  29. Hoki88 merupakan agen slot online yang menyediakan berbagai jenis permainan slot online dengan tingkat pengembalian (RTP) yang terbilang tinggi. hoki88

    Reply

  31. Σας ευχαριστώ για τις καταπληκτικές πληροφορίες jco69

    Reply

  32. Great Information sharing .. I am very happy to read this article .. thanks for giving us go through info.Fantastic nice. I appreciate this post. naga3388

    Reply

  33. ggwinner where elegant design and a user-friendly interface make your experience truly enjoyable. Navigate seamlessly through our features, enjoy stunning visuals, and find everything you need with ease. Join us and experience the perfect blend of functionality and aesthetics!!!

    Reply

  36. sortoto now u can make more income and earn so much money for free just by clicking this link and visit this website.

    Reply

  37. Awesome article, it was exceptionally helpful! I simply began in this and I’m becoming more acquainted with it better! Cheers, keep doing awesome! situs exototo

    Reply

  39. That is the best weblog for anyone who desires to find out about this topic. You understand a lot its virtually laborious to argue with you (not that I actually would need…HaHa). You definitely put a brand new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, simply great! 速記独学おすすめ

    Reply

  41. I’ve held it’s place in related scenarios just before. The no effortless a remedy when you considered maybe it’s, it really is a thing that you’ll must create yourself above above time. mpomega login

    Reply

  43. Nice post! This is a very nice blog that I will definitively come back to more times this year! Thanks for informative post. slot 777 login

    Reply

  45. There is so much in this article that I would never have thought of on my own. Your content gives readers things to think about in an interesting way. Thank you for your clear information. 총판커뮤니티

    Reply

  48. sortoto make your bank account grow much more just with play so many fun games in this website and so easy to win it , try and prove it .

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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