Posted on 46,057 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?

46,057 thoughts on “Access to Healthcare for Immigrants”

  3. Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in reality used to be a enjoyment
    account it. Look complicated to more delivered agreeable from you!
    However, how can we be in contact?

    Visit my web site – Free credit no deposit

    Reply

  4. Hot Rajkot babes are prime sources of hot lovemaking .The hunger for getting a perfect naughty love action will never end. It is not because of a lack of quality of naughty sources or the girls not performing nicely. A sex-enthusiastic man is used to or addicted to Rajkot Escorts
    sexy girls. All the female beauty queens are highly skilled, creatively expert and open-minded babes.

    Reply

  10. صندلی اپنی آشپزخانه مانند میز کنسول یک انتخاب نوین در دنیای طراحی داخلی است. این صندلی‌ها با طراحی باز و خوش‌فرم، برخوردار از امکاناتی چون جاکلیدی، پشتیبانی از قرار گرفتن در فضای آشپزخانه را فراهم می‌کنند.
    https://arasheng.com/product-category/sofa-and-chair/open-kitchen-chair/

    Reply

  11. صندلی‌های ناهارخوری، جزء اجزاء اساسی هر خانه محسوب می‌شوند و مانند خرید میز ناهارخوری خرید صندلی ناهارخوری نیز مهم است. این اثاثه‌ها نه تنها برای راحتی در زمان ناهار، بلکه به عنوان یک عنصر زینتی و طراحی نقش مهمی در دکوراسیون داخلی منزل ایفا می‌کنند. در اینجا به بررسی اصناف و انواع مختلف صندلی‌های ناهارخوری، همچنین نکات و ملاحظات مهم در انتخاب، نگهداری، و تعمیر این اثاثه‌ها می‌پردازیم.
    https://arasheng.com/product-category/sofa-and-chair/dining-chair/

    Reply

  12. نیمکت‌های مبلی، انواعی از مبلمان هستند که به دلیل طراحی و ساختارشان، به عنوان یکی از قطعات اصلی دکوراسیون داخلی اتاق‌ها و فضاهای مختلف مورد استفاده قرار می‌گیرند. این نوع مبلمان با داشتن شکل و ظاهری منحصر به فرد، به زیبایی و شکوه فضاها افزوده و در عین حال، ارائه راحتی و آسایش برای استفاده‌کنندگانشان می‌پردازند.
    https://arasheng.com/product-category/sofa-and-chair/bench/

    Reply

  15. میز ناهارخوری یکی از مهم‌ترین و کاربردی‌ترین قطعات مبلمان در هر خانه‌ای است و خرید صندلی ناهارخوری در کنار میز ناهارخوری واجب است. . در بسیاری از خانواده‌ها، این میز نقطه کانونی برای گردهمایی‌ها، صرف وعده‌های غذایی، گفتگوهای خانوادگی و حتی مهمانی‌ها است. انتخاب و طراحی مناسب میز ناهارخوری نه تنها می‌تواند راحتی بیشتری را فراهم کند بلکه جلوه‌ای زیبا و دلپذیر به دکوراسیون داخلی منزل می‌بخشد.
    https://arasheng.com/product-category/thetables/dining-table/

    Reply

  17. Howdy! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group?
    There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your content.
    Please let me know. Thanks

    my blog post … cybersecurity

    Reply

  24. Every time my spouse and i grew to be on the internet site while sporting certain awareness quickly a certain amount of tiny bit submits. Desirable way of end, I shall be book-marking currently get types complete spgs appropriate way up. alphabites

    Reply

  26. Khám phá 789Win, nơi mang lại những trải nghiệm cá cược đỉnh cao và khả năng nhận thưởng hấp dẫn. Tham gia ngay hôm nay để có cơ hội trúng lớn!
    Website: https://789winlem.com/

    Reply

  27. This is a very informative and useful post. I appreciate your time and effort in this. This post taught me a lot of new things. It’s wonderful to see such useful content available. This post provided useful information and advice. I’m glad this post brought the topic to light. Virginia Beach Sex Crime Attorney This post was well-written and simple to comprehend. I’m excited to read more posts like this in the future. I’m confident that many readers will find this post useful. Thank you for sharing your expertise and knowledge.

    Reply

  28. Access to healthcare for immigrants remains a critical issue, often hindered by legal and financial barriers. Just as a hip length trench coat offers essential protection against the elements, healthcare provides immigrants with the necessary shield to lead healthier lives. Both are fundamental to well-being and security in unfamiliar environments.

    Reply

  29. That’s the reason center on it’s essential to precise ground moves well before writing. Might be attainable so that you can extra advisable text that way. relaxing massage

    Reply

  30. Great post I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this interesting and knowledgeable article. Mahjong Win 3

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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