Should Immigrants Have Health Care

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It always seems that immigrant and refugees get the short end of the stick while in America, and there is no difference in the topic of health care. According to studies from multiple researchers, immigrants and refugees have limited access to the American healthcare system and the United States is not doing much to expand the opportunity to all. Many Americans believe that health care should be limited for immigrants because their involvement in the system would “steal” a large part of American health care dollars. In a very selfish way, Americans tend to feel that there is no point to give health care to one that does not belong to the country. I believe that immigrants need health insurance more than ever, due to the physical and mental …show more content…

When you combine language & cultural barriers, difference in the currency exchange rate, and job discrimination, it is hard to be at your top financially from the jump. According to the article, a higher income level has shown to be a strong predictor of access to quality health care, being there is a correlation between wealth and health (Marshall 2006). Individuals who are poor do not have as many opportunities of reaching economic stability, which may make them susceptible to crime and disease and a lack of education, employment, health care, and other basic needs. This means that the target group in the country that experiences countless health struggles (immigrants), are being denied health care. Unfortunately there are some immigrant who simply cannot afford health insurance, limiting their access to health …show more content…

Immigrants of legal status with really good health insurance, wait to go to the doctors unless they are in a serious condition. Families refuse to renew health insurance, even some who make payments, choose not to use their health plan. Depending on the customs of a particular family, some only go to the doctor when they are in a threatening health condition. Therefore, coming to America, they follow the same method. An important indicators of potential access to health care is the characteristics of the health care system (Aday, 1989). One characteristic mentioned during discussion is the ethnicity and language of the care takers. From experience, I know that immigrants tend to flock to other immigrants, especially if they are from the same homeland. Why go have medical checkups from a person who speaks a different language and risk having a misdiagnosis? Other documented immigrants avoid health-care facilities based on simply not trusting the ways of America. I grew up in south Yonkers, where there is a large amount of Ghanaian immigrants. Most of these immigrants are also attend an all-Ghanaian church with me. I have overheard conversations in which adults are saying they do not have a set stable insurance plan out of skepticism of it being a typical American scam to squeeze out all of their

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