Posted on 37,223 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?

37,223 thoughts on “Access to Healthcare for Immigrants”

  1. The accumulated onto your blog site despite the fact paying off acceptance just many tid little submits. Gratifying strategy for honest, I will be bookmarking before you start acquire merchandise realization spgs right in place. https://kuwins.org/

    Reply

  3. I’m keen on the various blogposts, When i severely preferred, I’d prefer specifics about the item, due to the fact it is superb., Best wishes concerning producing. c54 direct

    Reply

  5. Exploring innovative product design for medical devices can greatly enhance accessibility and functionality, especially in healthcare for diverse populations. It’s crucial to integrate advanced technologies like 3D scanning and modeling to create precise, user-friendly medical devices that meet specific needs. https://hossdesignusa.com/product-design-2/

    Reply

  6. สัมผัสประสบการณ์เล่นสล็อตออนไลน์ที่ง่ายและสะดวกที่สุดกับสล็อตวอเลท! ฝาก-ถอนเงินรวดเร็วผ่านวอเลท รับโบนัสทันทีเมื่อสมัครใหม่ พร้อมลุ้นรางวัลใหญ่ทุกวัน! ไม่ต้องรอแค่มีวอเลทก็เล่นได้ทุกที่ทุกเวลา! สล็อตวอเลท

    Reply

  7. This kind of looks entirely best. These tiny information are manufactured in addition to massive amount historical past comprehending. I enjoy this kind of a whole lot. 23win

    Reply

  8. Oh my goodness! an incredible article dude. Thank you Nevertheless I am experiencing difficulty with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting equivalent rss drawback? Anybody who knows kindly respond. Thnkx hướng dẫn c54

    Reply

  9. Have you ever wondered who posts some of this stuff that you come across? Recently it seems to have become an epidemic, although it seems to be changing for the better. Do you agree? nhà cái kuwin

    Reply

  10. Murah4D adalah Platform Slot Online Gampang Cuan yang sangat memanjakan Pemain dengan RTP (Rate To Player) yang Tinggi, meski hanya modal receh sangat mudah MAXWIN.

    Reply

  11. Great info – Gulvafslibning | Kurt Gulvmand I’m inquisitive to discover what blog platform you’re utilizing? We are experiencing some minor safety issues with my latest blog thus I’d wish to discover something a lot more risk-free. Are there some suggestions! Take care Online Website Builder nhà cái ww88

    Reply

  15. There are very a great deal of details this way take into consideration. That is a fantastic indidye cate raise up. I provide the thoughts above as general inspiration but clearly you can find questions such as the one you talk about the location where the biggest thing might be working in honest excellent faith. I don?t know if recommendations have emerged around such thinggs as that, but More than likely that the job is clearly defined as an affordable game. Both girls and boys feel the impact of only a moment’s pleasure, through out their lives. tin tức c54

    Reply

  16. Hey there this is a excellent write-up. I’m going to mail this to my buddies. I stumbled on this while browsing on google I’ll be sure to come back. thanks for sharing. link vào kuwin

    Reply

  17. In my opinion each of your commercials activated my personal internet browser for you to re-size, you may want to placed that on your own blacklist. tin tức c54`

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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