Challenges Mexican Immigrants and Migrants Face when Seeking Healthcare
Written by Patricia Moreno
Edited by Kriti lyer
May 2, 2021
Edited by Kriti lyer
May 2, 2021
There are nearly 12 million Mexican-born immigrants and migrants (im/migrants) in the US, yet less than 60% of them have access to health coverage (Israel & Batalova, 2020). Across the migration spectrum, Mexican im/migrants experience serious challenges that make it difficult for this population to receive quality healthcare services, like obtaining community resources and receiving patient-centered care. The migration process consists of pre-departure, transit, destination, deportation, and return, which imposes significant changes and challenges in healthcare rights, therefore, greatly increasing health disparities (Zimmerman, 2011). Research was conducted in Tijuana, Mexico from 2007 to 2015 to study and identify the gaps in healthcare access for Mexican im/migrants and social determinants were identified that lead to many health inequities (Martinez-Donate, 2017).
Current research suggests that there are several factors directly affecting the Mexican population that experience distress with the healthcare system, such as migration time span, health insurance coverage, incarceration, detention, and transportation issues. Moreover, there are four migration phases Mexican im/migrants usually experience, which consists of pre-departure, destination, interception, and return; im/migrants at the post-migration phase were found to have less access to healthcare services compared to pre-departure individuals (Martinez-Donate, 2017). Approximately 47% of Mexican im/migrants at destination, considered to be in the post-migration phase, used healthcare resources, while about 60% had access to healthcare at the pre-departure phase. This suggests that post-migration individuals, especially those who circulate from Mexico to the US, have a harder time obtaining health services due to external obstacles such as, imprisonment, employment status, and divorce rates.
What can we do to begin closing this gap in health coverage inequity? A great start would be to implement intervention strategies, such as making policies and programs targeted to help Mexican im/migrants receive affordable, quality, and transferable healthcare treatment. Seguro Popular is a universal healthcare program that accompanies Mexico’s employment-based social security plan, and can accommodate the health needs for circulating im/migrants (Knaul, 2012). In addition, extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can aid in broadening their services to multiple locations outside of the US. Getting rid of transportation problems, increasing job opportunities, and decreasing incarceration rates can significantly help this population receive the services they need (Martinez-Donate, 2017). Taking measures to address structural and social determinants can guarantee security for this population so they can receive the quality healthcare services all individuals deserve, regardless of their citizenship status.
Works Cited
Israel, E., Batalova, J., (2020) Mexican Immigrants in the United States. Migration Policy Institute. Available from: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article
/mexican-immigrants-united-states.
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Barraza-Lloréns, M., Sandoval, R., Caballero, F., Hernández-Avila, M., Juan, M.,
Kershenobich, D., Nigenda, G., Ruelas, E., Sepúlveda, J., Tapia, R., Soberón, G.,
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https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61068-X
Martinez-Donate, A. P., Ejebe, I., Zhang, X., Guendelman, S., Lê-Scherban, F., Rangel, G.,
Gonzalez-Fagoaga, E., Hovell, M. F., & Amuedo-Dorantes, C. (2017). Access to Health Care among Mexican Migrants and Immigrants: A Comparison across Migration Phases. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 28(4), 1314–1326. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2017.0116
Zimmerman, C., Kiss, L., & Hossain, M. (2011). Migration and health: a framework for 21st
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Image Source: “Access to Health Insurance” by Patricia Moreno