Posted on 46,367 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?

46,367 thoughts on “Access to Healthcare for Immigrants”

  1. Très professionnels , j’ai reçu le reliquaire parfaitement emballé et protégé , très bonne communication du début a la fin , je recommande. relics

    Reply

  13. Thankful to you for your post, I look for such article along time, today I find it finally. this post give me piles of instigate it is to a marvelous degree relentless for me. mi 11x pro price in nepal

    Reply

  19. Having read this I believed it was really enlightening. I appreciate you spending some time and energy to put this content together. 슬롯

    Reply

  21. This really is an incredibly amazing powerful resource that you’re offering and you just provide it away cost-free!! 토토

    Reply

  22. Thank you for sharing this useful article , and this design blog simple and user friendly regards. 토토

    Reply

  24. Looking at this article, I miss the time when I didn’t wear a mask. totosite Hopefully this corona will end soon. My blog is a blog that mainly posts pictures of daily life before Corona and landscapes at that time. If you want to remember that time again, please visit us.

    Reply

  25. You said these comments gave me a new insight. I read this article with great interest and it has been very helpful to me. Thanks to your information, my opinion has been turned in a positive direction. Thanks for sharing good information.메이저놀이터

    Reply

  26. Thank you for sharing valuable information. This is a new type of writing that cannot be seen anywhere else. That’s why I favorite your blog. There are many articles on my blog that you might be interested in. 토토사이트

    Reply

  27. I’ve always told people around, but this article is really crazy good. You don’t know how many times I’ve read this. The blueprints you put forward are really creative. Please check my blog for related information. 안전놀이터

    Reply

  28. I always find and read your articles. I think you are really trying to share your knowledge and thoughts. I understand how hard it can be to write a blog post. I want to applaud your efforts. I’d love to see your article. I will bookmark it. Thank you. https://totoilmi.com/

    Reply

  29. When I read an article on this topic, totosite the first thought was profound and difficult, and I wondered if others could understand.. My site has a discussion board for articles and photos similar to this topic. Could you please visit me when you have time to discuss this topic?

    Reply

  30. Bored I was introduced to the game iscribble but I don’t like it as much as I thought it would. I always lose when I meet dodgy players

    Reply

  35. In general, lawfully present immigrants must have a “qualified” immigration status to be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, and many, including most lawful permanent residents or “green card” holders, must wait five years after obtaining qualified status before they may enroll. MyCentura

    Reply

  36. Wow, This blog is great. this blog is very informative for me and I love it. I bookmark it for the next blog. You also visit this amazing jacket site Jacket Oria. Thanks for this helpful blog.

    Reply

  42. Lo shatush viene svolto in un modo differente, ovvero cotonando i capelli. In questo caso bisognerà fare più attenzione alla scelta, dato che si tratta di una tecnica preferibile su capelli più fini. Questo perchè lo shatush, sfibrando i capelli dà loro un volume maggiore, quindi non sarebbe l’ideale su chi ha già di suo una chioma folta.
    https://www.charlestonstateuniversity.com/

    Reply

  43. Inoltre, a trattamento terminato, sulla chioma saranno presenti 3 tonalità differenti. Ciò avviene per evidenziare maggiormente le diverse sfumature, e illuminare maggiormente i capelli. 
    https://www.uniofdenton.com/

    Reply

  44. ขอบคุณที่ให้พื้นที่แชร์ข้อมมูลต่างๆสำหรับเรา สล็อต แตกง่าย โปรดเข้ามาแวะชมเว็บไซร์ของเรา

    Reply

  47. It’s a pretty interesting post. I accidentally found your blog and read your post. I saw a few more of your other posts because it was interesting. I was searching several blogs to get good information. I’m very lucky to find your blog.안전놀이터

    Reply

  48. Thank you for sharing valuable information. This is a new type of writing that cannot be seen anywhere else. That’s why I favorite your blog. There are many articles on my blog that you might be interested in. 토토사이트

    Reply

  49. I often think about it every time I read your article you wrote, but you have a really great insight. Of all the people I know, both online and offline, your insight is the best. That’s why I love your blog. Thank you for your good comments in the future. 메이저사이트

    Reply

  50. I always find and read your articles. I think you are really trying to share your knowledge and thoughts. I understand how hard it can be to write a blog post. I want to applaud your efforts. I’d love to see your article. I will bookmark it. Thank you. https://totoilmi.com/

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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