Coverage for Undocumented Migrants Becomes More Urgent
Authors: Ewout van Ginneken, Bradford H. Gray
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2013)

Ideas and Opinions5 March 2013Coverage for Undocumented Migrants Becomes More UrgentEwout van Ginneken, PhD and Bradford H. Gray, PhDEwout van Ginneken, PhDFrom Berlin University of Technology, Berlin, Germany, and The Urban Institute, Washington, DC.Search for more papers by this author and Bradford H. Gray, PhDFrom Berlin University of Technology, Berlin, Germany, and The Urban Institute, Washington, DC.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-158-5-201303050-00008 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The outcome of the presidential election has put immigration reform back on the national agenda. Assuring access to care for undocumented migrants (UDMs) should be prominent in the discussion. Once the coverage expansions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) take effect in the states that implement the law's Medicaid provisions, UDMs will be the only large group without coverage. Ironically, some provisions in the ACA will hurt UDMs and the clinicians who provide services to them. We will share some policy options based on experiences from Europe, where provisions to provide access to care for UDMs are ...References1. 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 (Millwood). 2011;30:1997-2004. [PMID: 21976345] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Capps R, Rosenblum MR, Fix M. Immigrants and Health Care Reform: What's Really at Stake? Washington, DC: Migration Policy Inst; 2009. Google Scholar3. Vargas Bustamante A, Van der Wees PJ. Integrating immigrants into the U.S. health system. Virtual Mentor. 2012;14:318-23. MedlineGoogle Scholar4. Bernstein N. Hospitals fear cuts in aid for care to illegal immigrants. New York Times. 26 July 2012:A1. Accessed at www.nytimes.com/2012/07/27/nyregion/affordable-care-act-reduces-a-fund-for-the-uninsured.html on 3 December 2012. Google Scholar5. Martin E, Burke C. Health reform: what is the future for undocumented aliens? Health Affairs Blog. Posted 15 October 2010. Accessed at http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2010/10/15/health-reform-what-is-the-future-for-undocumented-aliens/ on 3 December 2012. Google Scholar6. Karl-Trummer U, Björngren Cuadra C, Novak-Zezula S. Two Landscapes of Nowhereland: Fact Sheet Policies. Malmö, Sweden: Center for Health and Migration/DUK and Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare; 2010. Accessed at http://files.nowhereland.info/760.pdf on 3 December 2012. Google Scholar7. Gray BH, van Ginneken E. Health Care for Undocumented Migrants: European Approaches. New York: The Commonwealth Fund; 2012. Google Scholar8. Institute of Medicine. America's Uninsured Crisis: Costs for Health and Health Care. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2009. Google Scholar9. McWilliams JM. Health consequences of uninsurance among adults in the United States: recent evidence and implications. Milbank Q. 2009;87:443-94. [PMID: 19523125] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Stimpson JP, Wilson FA, Eschbach K. Trends in health care spending for immigrants in the United States. Health Aff (Millwood). 2010;29:544-50. [PMID: 20150234] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Berlin University of Technology, Berlin, Germany, and The Urban Institute, Washington, DC.Disclaimer: The views presented here are those of the authors and should not be attributed to The Commonwealth Fund or its directors, officers, or staff.Grant Support: By The Commonwealth Fund (grant 20110310) to The Urban Institute. Dr. van Ginneken was a recipient of a 2011–12 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellowship in Health Care Policy and Practice.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M12-2596.Corresponding Author: Ewout van Ginneken, PhD, Berlin University of Technology, Straße des 17, Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; e-mail, ewout.[email protected]de.Current Author Addresses: Dr. van Ginneken: Berlin University of Technology, Straße des 17, Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany.Dr. Gray: The Urban Institute, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037.Author Contributions: Conception and design: E. van Ginneken, B. Gray.Drafting of the article: E. van Ginneken, B. Gray.Final approval of the article: E. van Ginneken, B. Gray. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited BySeeking health below the radar: Undocumented People's access to healthcare in two Dutch citiesEnd-of-Life Care for Unauthorized Immigrants in the U.S.End-of-Life Care for an Undocumented Mexican ImmigrantEnd-of-Life Care for Undocumented Immigrants With Advanced Cancer: Documenting the UndocumentedEnforcing Enrollment in Health Insurance ExchangesAdapting the Andersen Model to a Francophone West African Immigrant Population: Hepatitis B Screening and Linkage to Care in New York CityResponse to Case Study: False Identity — Unauthorized Immigration and Health CareThe lower quality of preventive care among forced migrants in a country with universal healthcare coverage 5 March 2013Volume 158, Issue 5_Part_1Page: 347-348KeywordsChildrenFearHealth economicsHealth insuranceMotivationPregnancyPrevention, policy, and public healthTaxes ePublished: 5 March 2013 Issue Published: 5 March 2013 CopyrightCopyright © 2013 by American College of Physicians. 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