It Shouldn't Be This Hard For Immigrants to Access Health Care

rePROs Fight Back - It Shouldn't Be This Hard For Immigrants to Access Health Care

Transcript Summary

In the podcast episode "It Shouldn't Be This Hard For Immigrants to Access Health Care," host Jennie Wetter discusses the challenges immigrant communities face in accessing healthcare. Yesenia Chavez, an immigrant women's health and rights policy analyst, and Jaclyn Dean, a policy manager, shed light on the barriers immigrants encounter, including a five-year ban on public benefits and limited insurance access. Uninsured immigrant women, particularly Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrants, face language barriers, cultural differences, and mistrust in Western medicine. Stigma surrounding reproductive health in Asian cultures makes it difficult for Asian Americans to seek services. Targeted stereotypes affect trust in the medical community, and Latinx and AAPI communities share similar healthcare challenges. Hispanics, especially undocumented Latinas, fear repercussions related to their immigration status when seeking healthcare, impacting their overall well-being. The proposed rule expansion of the public charge, a legal determination affecting reliance on government support, would force immigrants to choose between their health and immigration status. Factors considered include education, income, English proficiency, and family size. The burden falls disproportionately on immigrants to prove they aren't a public charge. Medicaid, included in the public charge test, would jeopardize immigrant women's access to reproductive health services. SNAP, the largest anti-hunger program, would also affect immigrants, forcing them to choose between feeding their children or risking their immigration status. Immigrants with disabilities who rely on Medicaid would be severely impacted. Removing the five-year waiting period for benefits and supporting legislation like the HEAL for Immigrant Women and Families Act are necessary steps to ensure access to affordable healthcare. Sensible locations should be protected to provide healthcare without fear of immigration enforcement. Protecting the Affordable Care Act and funding community health centers are crucial, as public programs should be expanded instead of restricted for improved immigrant healthcare access. Advocacy is encouraged to delay the implementation of the proposed rule, and the public comment period is open until December 10th.

Transcript