Minority Health Resource Center:
Access to Health Care
Unequal Access: Insurance Instability Among Low-Income Workers and Minorities explores why low-income minority workers had higher uninsured rates and greater insurance instability than had been previously documented. (The Commonwealth Fund, April 2004)
Health Care Access Issues of Specific Populations
African Americans' Access to Health Care
Asian Americans' Access to Health Care
- Covering All Children: The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) & the Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act (ICHIA) discusses the importance of insurance coverage for Asian and Pacific Islander populations and presents several options for expanding coverage for children, including expanding SCHIP and Medicaid, eliminating citizen documentation requirements, and ICHIA. (Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, December 2007)
- Health Insurance Coverage: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders provides an overview of health insurance coverage rates and sources of coverage for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), including variations in coverage by ethnic group. (Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, December 2006)
- Getting a Reliable Pulse on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders examines the issues involved in obtaining accurate and timely data about the health and health care needs of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. (Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, December 2006)
- Improving Health Coverage and Access for Asians and Pacific Islanders (Families USA, January 2006)
- Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care Among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders examines Asian American and Pacific Islander health insurance coverage, their access to health care, and the policy implications these factors create. (The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, June 2000)
Children's Access to Health Care
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Medical and Dental Health, Access to Care, and Use of Services in US Children found that minority children experience multiple disparities in these areas of health care, and certain disparities were particularly marked for specific racial/ethnic groups. For example, asthma and speech problems are particularly problematic for African Americans, and unmet medical and dental needs are more common for Native Americans. (Pediatrics, January 2008)
- The SCHIP Shortfall Crisis: Ramifications for Minority Children details the disproportionate impact SCHIP shortfalls will have on children from communities of color. (Center for American Progress, March 2007)
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Adolescent Health and Access to Care used data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) to analyze the extent to which health status and health care access disparities may exist for Black and Hispanic adolescents. (Incenter Strategies, January 2007)
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health and Access to Care among Older Adolescents utilized sample data from the 2004 and 2005 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to analyze levels of uninsurance among older adolescents (ages 18-21). The analysis determined older adolescents have disproportionately high levels of uninsurance compared with the rest of the population, particularly if they are racial or ethnic minorities. (Incenter Strategies, January 2007)
- The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), created in 1997, has been a major factor in improving health coverage rates for children. Changes in Children’s Health Insurance Status, 1996-2005: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population under Age 18 examines trends in children’s health insurance coverage by race/ethnicity and finds that improvements have been particularly dramatic for minority children. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, September 2006)
- Health care for children in the United States is appallingly bad, according to Quality of Health Care for Children and Adolescents: A Chartbook. The extensive report includes chart sections on effectiveness of pediatric care; patient safety; racial, ethnic and other disparities; and more. (The Commonwealth Fund, April 2004)
- The Health and Well-Being of Children in Immigrant Families uses data from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families to measure immigrant children in three areas: family environment, physical and emotional health, and access to needed services. (The Urban Institute, November 2002)
- Statistical Brief #3: Children's Health Care Quality, Fall 2000 presents the results of a survey that asked parents about the quality of their children's medical care. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, May 2002)
- Assuring that Child Health Applications Do Not Deter Enrollment Among Eligible Children in Non-Citizen Families makes the important point that an application for public assistance cannot be denied based on failure to provide a Social Security number or other citizenship information for a non-applicant. (The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, December 1999).
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Immigrants' Access to Health Care
- Five Basic Facts on Immigrants and Their Health Care addresses questions about how immigrants use and affect the health care system, including their impact on the nation’s uninsured problem, their participation in public health coverage programs, and their use of hospital emergency rooms. The brief concludes that immigrants play a relatively small role in our current health care crisis. (The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, March 2008)
- Willingness to Pay for Cross-Border Health Insurance between the United States and Mexico estimates the demand for a health insurance plan that would include preventive and ambulatory care in the U.S. and comprehensive care in Mexico. More than 60 percent of the surveyed population seemed interested in the product, and more than half were willing to pay between $75 and $125 a month if health officials offered the program in public hospitals. (Health Affairs, February 2008)
- Migration, Health & Work: The Facts Behind the Myth dispels misperceptions about the health status, use of health care services, and hazardous work exposure of immigrants in the U.S. (University of California School of Public Health, 2007)
- Immigrants and Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance examines why foreign-born workers are less likely to have employer-sponsored health insurance coverage. The authors conclude that immigrants have a higher probability of working in a firm that does not offer insurance. (A subscription is necessary to view the full article.) (Health Services Research, February 2007)
- Since the enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005, most U.S. citizens and nationals applying for or renewing their Medicaid coverage face a new federal requirement to provide documentation of their citizenship status. Citizenship Documentation Requirements in Medicaid provides up-to-date information on these requirements and discusses the implications for Medicaid beneficiaries and states. (Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, January 2007)
- Employer-sponsored health insurance is especially important for immigrant families because their eligibility for public coverage, including SCHIP and Medicaid, is restricted. The Role of Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage for Immigrants: A Primer examines the importance of employer-based coverage and the specific hurdles immigrants face in obtaining health insurance. The primer is available in both English and Spanish. (The Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2006)
- New Medicaid Regulations Discriminate against U.S.-Born Children of Immigrants calls attention to a specific provision in the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) that unfairly targets children born to immigrant mothers. (Families USA, August 2006)
- Many worry that the new Medicaid citizenship documentation requirements will affect immigrants’ access to care. Immigrants Are Not Affected by the New Medicaid Law explains that the procedures immigrants must follow for obtaining Medicaid coverage have not been changed. The report is also a useful resource for advocates working with immigrants. (National Immigration Law Center, June 2006)
- Medicaid and SCHIP Eligibility for Immigrants provides an overview of the current rules on immigrants’ eligibility for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. (The Kaiser Family Foundation, April 2006)
- Millions Must Now Prove Citizenship to Keep Medicaid Coverage: This issue brief discusses one of the more damaging provisions of the so-called Deficit Reduction Act, a provision that requires states to obtain proof of citizenship from all new Medicaid applicants and from current enrollees who renew their eligibility. (Families USA, February 2006)
- The budget conference agreement passed by the Senate in December and the House in February contains a provision that would require all people applying or reapplying for Medicaid to produce a passport of birth certificate to prove that they are U.S. citizens. The Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services has deemed this new requirement unnecessary. New Requirement for Birth Certificates of Passports Could Threaten Medicaid Coverage for Vulnerable Beneficiaries: A State by State Analysis estimates that an overwhelming number of applicants would be negatively affected by significant enrollment barriers created by this new requirement. (The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 2006)
- Health Coverage for Immigrants examines the general state of health coverage for immigrants in the U.S. The fact sheet states that immigrants are significantly more likely to be uninsured than native citizens, and that limits for Medicaid and SCHIP eligibility imposed in 1996 have aggravated the problem. (The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, November 2004)
- How Race/Ethnicity, Immigration Status and Language Affect Insurance Coverage and Access to Care and Quality of Care among the Low-Income Population seeks to clarify the roles that race, language, and citizenship status play in health coverage and access to and quality of health care, particularly for the low-income Latino community. (The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, August 2003)
- Health Coverage for Immigrants in New York: An Update on Policy Developments and Next Steps examines the ways in which federal welfare reform restricted legal immigrants' access to Medicaid and how a New York State Court of Appeals decision provides coverage for those previously denied. (The Commonwealth Fund, July 2002)
- Immigrant Access to Health Benefits: A Resource Manual explains the basic eligibility requirements for key federal and state programs. (The Access Project, May 2002)
- Immigrants' Health Coverage and Access discusses the legal status of immigrants, their health coverage, their access to health care services, and the policy challenges these factors create. (The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, March 2001)
- Immigrants' Eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP. Laws passed after welfare reform have restricted eligibility for legal immigrants who had formerly been eligible for Medicaid and SCHIP. This fact sheet discusses who is and who is not subject to the new restrictions. (Families USA, February 2001)
- Immigrants' Access to Health Care After Welfare Reform: Findings from Focus Groups in Four Cities presents results from focus groups that looked at immigrants' knowledge of and attitudes toward public programs such as Medicaid and SCHIP. (The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, November 2000)
- The INS Public Charge Guidance: What Does It Mean For Immigrants Who Need Public Assistance? concludes that, with a few rare but important exceptions, immigrants who remain eligible for cash assistance under either the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program or the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program can accept that assistance without endangering their immigration status. (The Center on Budget and Party Policies, January 2000)
- State Snapshots of Public Benefits for Immigrants: A Supplemental Report to "Patchwork Policies" provides brief summaries of each state's immigrant eligibility rules for cash, food, and health assistance programs. (The Urban Institute, August 1999)
- Immigrants and the Medicaid and CHIP Programs: Public Charge Guidance Released explains the Immigration & Naturalization Services' 1999 clarification of "public charge," an issue that affects immigrants' eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP. (Families USA, May 1999)
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Latinos' Access to Health Care
- Willingness to Pay for Cross-Border Health Insurance between the United States and Mexico estimates the demand for a health insurance plan that would include preventive and ambulatory care in the U.S. and comprehensive care in Mexico. More than 60 percent of the surveyed population seemed interested in the product, and more than half were willing to pay between $75 and $125 a month if health officials offered the program in public hospitals. (Health Affairs, February 2008)
- Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance: Already Poor Access Dwindles Further for Working Latino Families examines the rates at which the Latino community receives employer-sponsored health insurance, which is lower than that of any other major racial or ethnic group in the U.S. Employers are less likely to offer Latino workers health coverage, so Latinos have to seek out other avenues of insurance coverage, which are often unaffordable. (The National Council of La Raza, January 2008)
- Health Coverage and Access to Care for Hispanics in "New Growth Communities" and "Major Hispanic Centers" finds that as the Hispanic population grows and moves beyond urban centers, Hispanics in “new growth communities” face greater barriers to health care than those in “major Hispanic centers.” Much of this disparity is linked to the accessibility of community health centers and safety-net hospitals. (The Kaiser Family Foundation, September 2006)
- Improving Health Coverage and Access for Latinos (Families USA, January 2006)
- Access to Health Care among Hispanic/Latino Children United States, 1998-2001 presents national estimates on access to health care for five subgroups of Hispanic/Latino children in the U.S.: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, and other Hispanic. (The National Center for Health Statistics, June 24, 2004)
- Insurance, Access, and Quality of Care among Hispanic Populations: 2003 Chartpack is intended to serve as a quick reference and overview of insurance status, health care access, and quality of care experiences among Hispanic communities in the U.S. (The Commonwealth Fund, October 2003).
- Hispanic Patients' Double Burden: Lack of Health Insurance and Limited English Proficiency? discusses the high uninsured rates found among Hispanics and the resulting difficulties encountered in gaining access to care. (The Commonwealth Fund, February 2003)
- Protect Your Family's Health...with Confidence is a bilingual booklet that explains how parents can receive low-cost or free health coverage. (The National Council of La Raza, Fall 2002)
- Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care Among Latinos examines Latino health insurance coverage, their access to care, and the policy implications these factors create. (The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, June 2000)
- Working Without Benefits: The Health Insurance Crisis Confronting Hispanic Americans examines the factors that contribute to lack of health insurance coverage among Hispanics and the resulting negative effects. (The Commonwealth Fund, February 2000)
Native Americans/Alaska Natives
- Health Status for Urban American Indians and Alaska Natives details the chronic diseases that American Indians/Alaska Natives suffer, their overall health status, and the role that access to health care plays in this community. (Urban Indian Health Institute, November 2007)
- Urban Indian Health Organizations: Healthcare for Urban American Indians and Alaska Natives answers the question, "What are Urban Indian Health Organizations?". This fact sheet also discusses who is eligible for these services, as well as how they are funded. (Urban Indian Health Institute, October 2007)
- Native Americans and the Public: A Human Values Perspective focuses on how a lack of mutual understanding, invisibility, and negative coverage come together to "silence" important issues and to stall or block laws such as the reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. (Friends Committee on National Legislation, Winter 2006-2007)
- Indian Report is a quarterly newsletter published by the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Click on the Indian Report newsletters from 2004, 2006, and 2007.
- A National Roundtable on the Indian Health System and Medicaid Reform is a report that compiles the results of a 2005 roundtable meeting organized by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, the Indian Health Service (IHS), the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Urban Institute. This roundtable meeting was attended by program officials, advocates, and health care analysts in an effort to bring together Indian Health stakeholders to discuss pending Medicaid reform and its impact on Native communities. (Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and the Urban Institute, August 2005)
- Invisible Tribes: Urban Indians and Their Health in a Changing World is a comprehensive report that documents the need for a greater focus on the health care needs of Urban Indians. (Urban Indian Health Commission)
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