Immigrant Health Care
US immigrants penalised for using Medicaid
An estimated 1 in 7 US immigrants are avoiding state benefits over fears they may be denied residency for utilising them. Health professionals are concerned this is exacerbating the spread of coronavirus.
Law changes enacted by the Trump administration mean that use of state benefit will count against migrants in a residency application. “The biggest change is really the fear and confusion that it is perpetrating in immigrant communities”, says local doctor Michelle Larue, who has seen a fall in Medicaid enrolment. Sarah Miller, researcher from the University of Michigan, does not assign all blame to the President, stating that personal insurance trends limiting access to aid “existed before Trump.” The real victims, though, are the millions of migrants in the US foregoing their medical safety, like Russian musician Maria Brokskaya. “If something happens to me I don’t even know where to go.”
FULL SYNOPSIS