Abstract
Mexican immigrants to the U.S. are nearly three times more likely to be without health insurance than non-Hispanic native citizens. To inform strategies to increase the number of insured within this population, we elicited immigrants’ understanding of health insurance and preferences for coverage. Nine focus groups with Mexican immigrants were conducted across the State of North Carolina. Qualitative, descriptive methods were used to assess people’s understanding of health insurance, identify their perceived need for health insurance, describe perceived barriers to obtaining coverage, and prioritize the components of insurance that immigrants value most. Individuals have a basic understanding of health insurance and perceive it as necessary. Participants most valued insurance that would cover emergencies, make care affordable, and protect family members. Barriers to obtaining insurance included cost, concerns about immigration status discovery, and communication issues. Strategies that address immigrants’ preferences for and barriers to insurance should be considered.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Pew Hispanic Center: Census 2010.: 50 Million Latinos Hispanics account for more than half of Nation’s growth in past decade. 2011. http://www.pewhispanic.org/files/reports/140.pdf. Last accessed 27 June 2012.
Pew Hispanic Center: The New Latino South. 2005. http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/50.pdf. Last accessed 27 June 2012.
U.S. Census Bureau: Profile of general population and housing characteristics: 2010. 2010 Demographic profile data, North Carolina. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table. Last accessed 27 June 2012.
U.S. Census Bureau: Current population survey, annual social and economic supplement. 2010. Table 42. Health insurance status by sex, age, and Hispanic origin type: 2010. http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hispanic/cps2010.html. Last accessed 27 June 2012.
U.S. Census Bureau: Current population survey, annual social and economic supplement. 2010. Table 41. Health insurance status by sex, age, Hispanic origin, and race: 2010. http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hispanic/cps2010.html. Last accessed 27 June 2012.
Rivers PA, Patino FG. Barriers to health care access for Latino immigrants in the USA. Int J Soc Econ. 2006;33(3):207–20.
Flores G, Fuentes-Afflick E, Barbot O, et al. The health of Latino children: urgent priorities, unanswered questions, and a research agenda. JAMA. 2002;288(1):82–90.
Perry MJ, Stark E, Valdez RB: Barriers to Medi-Cal enrollment and ideas for improving enrollment: findings from eight focus groups in California with parents of potentially eligible children. 1998. Kaiser Family Foundation. www.kff.org/medicaid/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=14649. Last accessed 27 June 2012.
Miller WL, Crabtree BF. Primary care research: a multimethod typology and qualitative road map. In: Crabtree BF, Miller WL, editors. Doing qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage; 1992. p. 3–28.
Derose KP, Escarce JJ, Lurie N. Immigrants and health care: sources of vulnerability. Health Aff. 2007;26(5):1258–68.
Ortega AN, Fang H, Perez VH, et al. Health care access, use of services, and experiences among undocumented Mexicans and other Latinos. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(21):2354–60.
Ku L. Health insurance coverage and medical expenditures of immigrants and native-born citizens in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2009;99(7):1322–8.
Tarraf W, Miranda PY, González HM. Medical expenditures among immigrant and nonimmigrant groups in the United States: findings from the medical expenditures panel survey (2000–2008). Med Care. 2012;50(3):233–42.
Gresenz CR, Derose KP, Ruder T, et al. Health care experiences of Hispanics in new and traditional U.S. destinations. Med Care Res Rev. 2012;69(6):663–78.
Blewett LA, Smaida SA, Fuentes C, et al. Health care needs of the growing Latino population in rural America: focus group findings in one midwestern state. J Rural Health. 2003;19(1):33–41.
Cristancho S, Garces DM, Peters KE, et al. Listening to rural Hispanic immigrants in the Midwest: a community-based participatory assessment of major barriers to health care access and use. Qual Health Res. 2008;18(5):633–46.
Harari N, Davis M, Heisler M. Strangers in a strange land: health care experiences for recent Latino immigrants in Midwest communities. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2008;19(4):1350–67.
Streeter S, Braithwaite S, Ipakchi N, et al.: The effect of community health centers on healthcare spending and utilization. National Association of Community Health Centers. 2009. http://www.nachc.org/client/Avalere_NACHC_Report_Final_10.2.09.PDF. Last accessed 27 June 2012.
Epstein AJ. The role of public clinics in preventable hospitalizations among vulnerable populations. Health Serv Res. 2001;32(2):405–20.
Viswanathan M, Kraschnewski J, Nishikawa B, et al.: Outcomes of community health worker interventions. Evid Rep Technol Assess. 2009;181:1–144, A1–2, B1–14
Gibbons MC, Tyus NC. Systematic review of U.S.-based randomized controlled trials using community health workers. Prog Community Health Partnersh. 2007;1(4):371–81.
Lewin S, Munabi-Babigumira S, Glenton C, et al. Lay health workers in primary and community health care for maternal and child health and the management of infectious diseases. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010;3:CD004015.
Wallace SP, Mendez-Luck C, Castaneda X. Heading south: why Mexican immigrants in California seek health services in Mexico. Med Care. 2009;47(6):662–9.
Landeck M, Garza C. Utilization of physician health care services in Mexico by U.S. Hispanic border residents. Health Mark Q. 2002;20(1):3–16.
Macias EP, Morales LS. Crossing the border for health care. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2001;12(1):77–87.
Guendelman S. Health care users residing on the Mexican border: what factors determine choice of the U.S. or Mexican health system? Med Care. 1991;29(5):419–29.
Schulz AT, Medlin C. Cross border health care plans. Health Policy Monitor. 2007. http://www.hpm.org/survey/us/d7/4. Last accessed 27 June 2012.
Zuckerman S, Waidmann TA, Lawton E. Undocumented immigrants, left out of health reform, likely to continue to grow as share of the uninsured. Health Aff. 2011;30(10):1997–2004.
Buettgens M, Hall M. Who will be uninsured after health reform? Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 2011. http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/71998.pdf. Last accessed 27 June 2012.
U.S. Census Bureau, State and County QuickFacts,. North Carolina County Selection Map. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/north_carolina_map.html. Last accessed 27 June 2012.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ziemer, C.M., Becker-Dreps, S., Pathman, D.E. et al. Mexican Immigrants’ Attitudes and Interest in Health Insurance: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. J Immigrant Minority Health 16, 724–732 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9794-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9794-8