![]() Of the main reasons for lack of access, administrative difficulties in obtaining health care and finances were cited as the most common. In a study by Chauvin and colleagues, 10 22% of the UI population in Europe had access to health coverage, and, of those, only about 36% had true access because of barriers such as administrative difficulties, limited language proficiency, and lack of awareness of available services. Many of these issues in health care are not unique to the United States. In addition, shame and discrimination are common feelings experienced by the UI population and contribute to poor access to health care globally. 9 Fear of deportation may lead to the avoidance of seeking care and risk of severe health complications, 8 and this also affects health care for US-born children of UIs. Patients who have LEP had increased difficulty in understanding their health status as well as accessing preventive services. Studies have shown that patients with limited English language proficiency (LEP) are at higher risk of poor health and have decreased access to health care. 8ĭecreased proficiency in the language of the host country and fear of deportation may also present barriers to health care for UIs. In addition, because of undocumented status, they may not have sick leave days and may have difficulty negotiating time off from work to seek care. Given that most of the federal insurance plans are unavailable to the UI population, UIs are susceptible to higher out-of-pocket costs for care. The UI population is often of lower socioeconomic status, which adds to the difficulties accessing health care. 7 Various factors from socioeconomic status to fear of deportation affect the UI population’s health both domestically and internationally and deter UIs from seeking care. This article provides an overview of challenges in addressing their health needs, existing methods for accessing care, health conditions specific to this population, and potential solutions to consider in both the national and international contexts, specifically in Europe.ĭespite the better health status of the younger UI population, this advantage deteriorates over increasing time spent in the United States. 6 Although UIs have a variety of reasons to migrate, from safety concerns to economic incentives, addressing the health needs of these populations come with unique challenges and solutions. Internationally, the United Nations Population Division estimates that there are 30 million to 40 million unauthorized immigrants worldwide, and although most are in the United States, proportionally continental Europe has a larger share. The issue of UIs is not unique to the United States. California, Texas, and Florida have the largest numbers of UIs, and Nevada has the largest share, making up 8% of the state’s population. About half of UIs are of Mexican origin however, these numbers have declined over the last 5 years, from more than 6 million to 5.6 million as of 2014. More than 4 million people in the United States are the US-born children of UIs. Most of this group is of Hispanic origin (64%) (See Figure 4 at Henry Kaiser Family Foundation, Health Coverage of Immirgants: ) and 90% are adults between the ages of 18 and 40 years. 1Īlthough it is challenging to determine exact figures, recent estimates show that UIs make up roughly 4% of the US population, amounting to approximately 12 million individuals. This definition includes those who have entered the country without documents or authorization, those who were legally authorized to enter but remain after their visa has expired, and those whose application for immigrant status has not been resolved. Although definitions of who is undocumented vary internationally, in the United States UIs include individuals born outside the United States who are not legal residents. Both nationally and internationally, medical care of undocumented immigrants (UIs) is a growing issue.
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