Posted on 51,931 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?

51,931 thoughts on “Access to Healthcare for Immigrants”

  1. Hello there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be
    ok. I’m absolutely enjoying your blog and look forward to new updates.

    Here is my web blog … Turkey News Today

    Reply

  9. linkagen777 The validity of every game output is guaranteed, providing a sense of security and comfort for the players.

    Reply

  10. The articles here always have a unique and interesting point of view so they are a good source of information. For those of you who want to read very interesting articles, I would be honored if you could visit our website here, thank you. https://www.thesweetandsavoryspot.com/

    Reply

  11. Situs ini menggunakan teknologi enkripsi terkini untuk melindungi informasi sensitif dari akses yang tidak sah zeuslot

    Reply

  17. Your article has left a lasting impression on me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from your work.
    Kubet

    Reply

  18. rekor111 The validity of every lottery output is guaranteed, providing a sense of security and comfort for the players.

    Reply

  20. Online lottery is here as an answer to the demands of an increasingly modern era. Now, lottery fans no longer need to bother looking for a land bookie or waiting for the results to be released in certain places 55Bet

    Reply

  23. venubet pelayanan terbaik menjadi salah satu prioritas kami untuk bisa memberikan kenyamanan kepada member setianya.

    Reply

  25. Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.

    Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! By the way, how
    could we communicate?

    My web page :: lottery defeated software

    Reply

  27. dewagg77 This site is equipped with the latest encryption technology that protects players’ personal data and financial transactions

    Reply

  32. Your information is very good. Keep up the work. I will definitely invite my friends to read again.
    123plus

    Reply

  39. Fantastic post. I was impressed after reading this blog post after post! Very helpful information, especially the final section 🙂 Such knowledge is very important to me. I spent a long time looking for this specific information. Regards and best of luck.

    visit my website : Bom89

    Reply

  41. Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info 슬롯 솔루션

    Reply

  44. Very efficiently written information. 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. http://www.georgetownnews.com

    Reply

  45. We will discuss various important aspects of football, from game techniques, team strategies, to the motivation that drives players to give their best. Therefore, if you want to know more information, please visit our website https://goalinitiative.org/

    Reply

  48. Need the best computer numerical control knife cutting machines for your company? Then you should check out Dekcel. The top producer in China, Dekcel mainly makes accurate devices of high quality that are able to cut through a wide range of materials easily. Whether it is fabric or foam or even leather, our machines have been designed specifically for different types of cuts made by CNC knives. It is advisable that you get in touch with us as soon as possible if you would like additional information on what we do and how our state-of-the-art technologies can push your business further ahead than ever before – Dekcel is waiting! CNC Knife Cutting Machine – Dekcel

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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