The Pros And Cons Of Hispanic Immigrants

When the Affordable Care Act took effect, millions of previously uninsured citizens were able to gain access to healthcare, many for the first time. The expansion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) decreased the rate of uninsured people by providing access to private insurance through health insurance exchanges and premium subsidies for both, low and middle- income families. There are 28 states that now cover children in families with joint income up to 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and have removed barriers to CHIP and Medicaid enrollment. Despite the increased access to health care, millions of citizens remain uninsured. To date, Hispanics remain the largest uninsured population of citizens.

Legal status is a large determinant of who gains access to health care. Unlawful Hispanic immigrants are not eligible for publicly- funded programs such as Medicaid and CHIP and must rely on private insurance companies, however; private insurance companies have the right to deny an individual health care coverage. The denial in health care coverage places this population at a serious disadvantage. Many Hispanics already face an enormous disadvantage such as language barriers, low socioeconomic status, and limited educational attainment. Cultural competency remains at the forefront in regards to challenges faced by this population. Many Hispanics are unable to obtain access to proper resources because of the language barriers that persist. As the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), we pose five solutions or policy implications that will be further explained in this issue

Figure 4 shows states that have decided to expand Medicaid have lower rates of Hispanic children that do not have health insurance versus the states that have not expanded Medicaid. In states where Medicaid has been expanded, the income-eligibility levels for Medicaid and CHIP have been raised and immigrant- Hispanic children no longer have to wait five years to receive full Medicaid and CHIP coverage. Additionally, these state also have programs implemented that helps Hispanic families to gain insurance coverage. In 2014, twenty states reported rates of Hispanic children without health insurance considerably below the national average. Of the twenty states, there were sixteen states that covered the Hispanic children in Medicaid and CHIP above the median eligibility level for children. The states that had decided to extend Medicaid coverage had a higher rate of decline when compared to states that elected not to expand Medicaid coverage, even if the states had previously high rates of Hispanic children without health insurance. In states that had a high rate of Hispanic children that lacked health insurance, Medicaid had not been expanded. Additionally, many of these states choose not to provide health insurance for children that must wait five years before being eligible to receive funds for CHIP or