Improving Access to Health Care for Mexican Immigrants

PWP-CCPR-2010-046

Abstract

Health care reform in the United States has emphasized expanding health insurance to improve access to health care, but undocumented residents and recent immigrants will continue to face many restrictions. This article reports on the results of four focus groups conducted in the Los Angeles area with uninsured Mexican immigrants about ways of improving their access to health care. Alternatives included binational health insurance, expanded employer-provided health insurance, improved access to community health centers, and telemedicine as a way to improve access to specialists. The only solution where there was a consensus that the change would be feasible, result in improved access, and they had confidence in was expanded access to community health centers (CHC’s). Given the limited access to most specialists at CHC’s and the continued barriers to hospital care for those without health insurance, the most effective way of improving the complete range of health services to undocumented immigrants is through immigration reform that will bring these workers under the other health care reform provisions.