Assignment task:
What's a good feedback for this discussion post?
The article I selected from The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is "Immigration-Related Barriers Result in High Uninsured Rates Within All Racial and Ethnic Groups" As I read this article, I imagined myself as an immigrant, in a country I am not familiar with, possibly with a language barrier, attempting to get medical insurance coverage for myself and my family.
As an Immigrant, coming here expecting to live the American Dream and then to realize that medical care without insurance is difficult to find if not impossible. Despite significant progress in health coverage gains since enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 26 million people in the U.S. remain uninsured. There are significant inequities in coverage rates between racial and ethnic groups - and within each broad racial group, people who are immigrants are more likely than citizens to be uninsured, a recent CBPP report finds (CBPP, 2024)
I know how difficult it is to obtain insurance and simply be able to afford it on a continuing basis. I know many US citizens that have worked their entire lives just to reach Medicare age, and STILL struggle to pay for a Medicare supplement. Although those people have Medicare, the supplement cost can be hundreds of dollars each month. Which still makes their out-of-pocket medical expenses a bridge too far for some individuals. A staggering statistic from this article states that Approximately 9.5 million adult immigrants in our nation meet income requirements to enroll in Medicaid, but 45 percent (4.3 million) of them are barred from enrolling due to the restrictive immigration-related eligibility requirements. (CBPP, 2024)
In today's world, immigrants usually have jobs are often in service type jobs that are primarily part time or the type of jobs that do not come with a comprehensive medical insurance plan. Approximately 9.5 million adult immigrants in our nation meet income requirements to enroll in Medicaid, but 45 percent (4.3 million) of them are barred from enrolling due to the restrictive immigration-related eligibility requirements (CBPP,2024). The Affordable Care Act is less restrictive, but will still block people without documented immigration statuses from enrolling in coverage. Approximately half of people without a documented status are uninsured, so ending the block to ACA marketplace coverage would go a long way in reducing the number of immigrants who are uninsured.
Funding for health care is a huge issue. Congress is where the buck stops, literally. Comprehensive immigration reform that provides lawful status with a pathway to citizenship could dramatically increase their ability to sign up for coverage through their employers or through public coverage. In the meantime, Congress can also remove the remaining immigration-related barriers to government health coverage programs, and both the Health Equity and Access under the Law for Immigrant Families Act and the LIFT the BAR Act would make significant progress on this front (CBPP, 2024) Getting Congress to agree on anything especially in an election year is as difficult as finding Coca-Cola and Pepsi available in the same restaurant. Very, very unlikely.
Discuss your reaction to the points made in the article. Do you agree with the points being made or do you see things differently?
Personally, I am very blessed that my husband worked for 28 years to secure our future. He enlisted in the military at the age of 18, and by staying in a career for that long we have health care for the rest of our lives. (unless congress decides to change that) That is why I selected this article to see from a different perspective how difficult it is to obtain health care/coverage and the obstacles in doing so.
I am not much of a political person and believe that one's political views are personal. But everyone deserves health care.
Reference:
Gonzales, Shelby, Vice President for Immigration Policy. "Immigration-Related Barriers Result in High Uninsured Rates within All Racial and Ethnic Groups." Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 14 May 2024