Posted on 46,108 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?

46,108 thoughts on “Access to Healthcare for Immigrants”

  2. Fine way of telling, and good paragraph to take
    information about my presentation subject matter, which i am going to
    convey in school.

    Also visit my web page Opal Nirvana

    Reply

  4. Bonus New Member: Bonus yang diberikan kepada pemain baru yang baru saja mendaftar dan melakukan deposit pertama kali. Garudatoto

    Reply

  5. Bonus Referral: Bonus yang diberikan kepada pemain ketika mereka mereferensikan teman mereka untuk bergabung dengan situs slot online. Garudatoto

    Reply

  6. Promosi Musim: Bonus dan promosi khusus yang ditawarkan pada musim-musim tertentu, seperti Natal, Tahun Baru, dan Lebaran Okta338

    Reply

  13. It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate
    to this outstanding blog! I suppose for now i’ll settle for book-marking
    and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look
    forward to fresh updates and will share this site with my
    Facebook group. Talk soon!

    Feel free to visit my blog – koi 365

    Reply

  16. Upgrade your gaming setup with the best gaming mouse pad from Innovative Effects. Designed for precision and comfort, it offers a smooth surface for effortless mouse movements, perfect for any gamer looking to level up their gameplay. best gaming mouse pad

    Reply

  21. Whats up this is kind of of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use
    WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML.

    I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding expertise so I wanted to get guidance from someone
    with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Here is my homepage Opalnirvana

    Reply

  22. I got this site from my pal who informed me regarding this web page and now this time I am
    visiting this web site and reading very informative articles at this place.

    Here is my blog post Opal Nirvana

    Reply

  23. Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is really
    informative. I’m gonna watch out for brussels.
    I’ll be grateful if you continue this in future. Numerous people
    will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

    Feel free to surf to my web page; opalnirvana.com

    Reply

  25. You ought to be a part of a contest for one of the greatest sites online.
    I am going to recommend this site!

    Here is my web-site – cam tokens

    Reply

  27. Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you
    know a few of the pictures aren’t loading correctly.
    I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
    I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same results.

    my web-site: house music

    Reply

  31. Known as the land of the Sundanese people, West Java offers a variety of interesting cultural heritages. From the inspiring angklung art to the captivating traditional dances, every element of culture here reflects deep local wisdom. Therefore, if you want to know more information, please visit our website https://jabarland.id/

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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