Approximately, 45% of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. are uninsured, compared to 23% of documented immigrants and 8% of U.S. citizens. Lack of health insurance coverage among undocumented immigrants is associated with delays seeking health care and underutilization of cost-effective health care services. Improving access to care for undocumented immigrants could contribute to better health outcomes and greater financial security in immigrant households.
Cal-IHEA grantee, Arturo Vargas Bustamante, PhD has developed a new resource, How to Expand Health Care Coverage to Undocumented Immigrants, which provides an overview of current policy options and strategies that county, state, and community-based organizations (CBOs) have used to expand access to health care for undocumented immigrants. The resource provides examples showing how collaborations between state, local governments, consular authorities, and community organizations on outreach activities can be impactful for improving enrollment or health promotion to undocumented immigrants.
The toolkit(PDF file) is the first resource available to provide an overview of current policy options and strategies that distinct levels of government and organizations have used to expand access to health care for undocumented immigrants.