Immigrant Health Care in the Context of an Incredibly Complicated Health Care System

• Published in: American Journal of Public Health Vol. 108; no. 7; pp. 843 - 844
• Main Author: Philbrick, Ann M.
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Washington American Public Health Association 01-07-2018
• Subjects: AJPH Book & Media; Citizenship; Emergency medical care; Foreign born citizens; Global Health; Health care; Health care expenditures; Health care policy; Health services; Immigrants; Immigration; Infectious diseases; Insurance coverage; Legislation; Medicare; Noncitizens; Public health; Public Health Practice; Residents; Responsibility; Safety; Zika virus; Middle East; New York; United States > US; Europe
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304489

The irony of this situation is that, in recent years, the United States has specifically excluded provisions of health care for these newcomers (a term used to describe all non-native residents, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status) despite health being designated as a basic human right by the United Nations.1 The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act of 1996 limited newcomers' access to federally funded benefits.2 This legislation prevented qualified aliens, including lawful permanent residents and individuals from selected immigrant categories, from receiving federal benefits for at least five years after achieving their qualified status. [...]the World Health Organization acknowledges that country of origin can play a role in social determinants. Because of the interconnectedness of factors contributing to social determinants of health, increasing one's income cannot right these inequities. [...]of lack of coverage, many newcomers rely on emergency rooms as a safety net during medical crises. Because newcomers are more likely to be healthy than native citizens, one would assume that if insurance coverage was more ubiquitous, preventive services might be able to preclude some of these catastrophic events and thus lower overall health care costs.