Ghosh C; AcademyHealth. Meeting (2004 : San Diego, Calif.).
Abstr AcademyHealth Meet. 2004; 21: abstract no. 1206.
DHHS/HRSA, , 88 Atlantic Avenue, 2B, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Tel. (646) 245-2204 Fax
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: To investigate the demography of uninsured elderly immigrants since the passing of PRWORA in 1996. PRWORA precludes new immigrants from receiving federal means-tested benefits for five years from arrival (e.g. Federal Medicaid). They already cannot qualify for Medicare (never paid into system) and private health insurance (elderly considered "high risk."). STUDY DESIGN: Data gathered, interpolated, and projected from existing populations studies (CPS, NHIS, MEPS, etc.) and state and federal agencies (Census Bureau,INS). POPULATION STUDIED: Recent elderly immigrants (age 65 and older) to United States are compared to elderly who are American-born or who arrived in the US before 1996. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Most elderly immigrants arrive from Mexico, China, the Philippines, Haiti, and India and settle in California, New York, Florida, and Texas. While only about 1% of all elderly are uninsured in the US, 50% of that number are new immigrant elderly--nearly all of whom have no options for health insurance. Without insurance, new elderly immigrants are forced to rely on emergency rooms for exacerbations of otherwise controllable chronic diseases. This leads to unnecessary hospitalizations and increased costs and compounds health disparities for immigrants. States are currently paying more in emergency room costs than they would pay if they extended Medicaid coverage to this group. CONCLUSIONS: Individual states could potentially save millions of dollars and provide more comprehensive care to its new immigrant elderly population if they offered Medicaid coverage with state funds rather than pay for emergency room costs. IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY, DELIVERY OR PRACTICE: New elderly immigrants in the United States have no options for health insurance. This places a burden on emergency rooms, and subsequently, on state funds. Including them into Medicaid coverage will allow for complete healthcare with cheaper overall costs. Disparities faced by new immigrants can be minimized with health insurance options.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Aged
- Americas
- California
- China
- Demography
- Emigration and Immigration
- Ethnic Groups
- Florida
- Haiti
- Hospitalization
- Humans
- India
- Insurance, Health
- Medicaid
- Medically Uninsured
- Medicare
- Mexico
- New York
- Philippines
- Poverty
- Public Policy
- Texas
- United States
- economics
- hsrmtgs
UI: 103624240
From Meeting Abstracts