Healthcare Barriers Immigrants Face and Proposed Solutions to Help Them

Healthcare Barriers Immigrants Face and Proposed Solutions to Help Them

Presenter(s)

Caitlyn Cristina Pittsford, Erin Elizabeth Tatham

Comments

Presentation: 1:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Kennedy Union Ballroom

This project reflects research conducted as part of a course project designed to give students experience in the research process.

Course: MED 480

Description

Derose and colleagues (2009) argue that low socioeconomic status, limited English proficiency, and lack of familiarity with the U.S. healthcare system puts U.S. immigrants at risk for not receiving proper health care. Lawfully present immigrants are allowed to buy private health insurance or given access to Medicaid, the nation’s public health insurance program if they meet their state’s income and residency rules (healthcare.gov 2022). However, Hacker (2015) states that “fear of deportation, communication ability, financial resources, shame/stigma, and knowledge about the healthcare system” are only a few reasons why immigrants may not receive healthcare. It is not always a lack of access to healthcare systems that prevents immigrants from receiving care, but a lack of knowledge about the healthcare system (Hacker et. al. 2015). The Office of Minority Health (2018) states that providing all patients with responsive healthcare to their cultural health beliefs and practices, languages, health literacy, and communication barriers will allow for an equitable and effective healthcare system. Providing more education and accessible resources can help to support immigrants’ access to healthcare (Caulford 2014). The purpose of this poster is to examine lack of knowledge as a barrier to immigrants accessing the U.S. healthcare system and describe programs focused on addressing this barrier to access.

Publication Date

4-20-2022

Project Designation

Course Project

Primary Advisor

Kathleen C. Scheltens

Primary Advisor's Department

Premedical Programs

Keywords

Stander Symposium project, College of Arts and Sciences

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Good Health and Well-Being

Healthcare Barriers Immigrants Face and Proposed Solutions to Help Them

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