Immigration has been a long-standing discussion in American politics since colonial times. America has always been known as the land of freedom and opportunity; however, the words “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” may not ring true anymore. Those who are unable to enter the country through legal means, have resulted to illegal measures, and therefore, have been deemed ineligible from partaking in opportunities allotted to citizens and legal immigrants. The issue of health care for the undocumented, addresses two sensitive and controversial topics, currently plaguing politics; health care reform and immigration reform. Two plausible agreements are faced when addressing this issue: does the United
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Due to the lack of inspection of these individuals entering the United States, diseases that were once considered virtually eradicated, such as, tuberculosis, pertussis, malaria, measles, rubella and rabies are re-emerging along the borders of this country (Gilcrist, 2013). This is a major health concern, because health care providers often under diagnose these conditions, or do not recognize the signs and symptoms of these diseases, due to lack of training, since these diseases are not usually prevalent in this area (Gilcrist, 2013). This factor could allow for a serious outbreak, which poses an alarming threat to the safety of public health, since the undocumented are not granted health care access, unless due to emergency circumstances. According to , undocumented immigrants tend to avoid health care institutions in general due to fear of …show more content…
These services include, but are not limited to, the following: non-emergency Medicaid; Medicare benefits; and market place health insurance plans. Undocumented residents, however, can receive emergency services at hospitals and temporary, emergency Medicaid (if income guidelines are met), as well as, services that are provided by non-emergency health services at community health centers or safety-net hospitals (“Immigrants and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) - National Immigration Law Center,” n.d.). Although the ACA has provided insurance to over 17 million previously, uninsured citizens and permanent residents, it has left out one of the most secluded, under served and vulnerable populations: illegal immigrants or undocumented workers (Ortega,
Due to the lack of inspection of these individuals entering the United States, diseases that were once considered virtually eradicated, such as, tuberculosis, pertussis, malaria, measles, rubella and rabies are re-emerging along the borders of this country (Gilcrist, 2013). This is a major health concern, because health care providers often under diagnose these conditions, or do not recognize the signs and symptoms of these diseases, due to lack of training, since these diseases are not usually prevalent in this area (Gilcrist, 2013). This factor could allow for a serious outbreak, which poses an alarming threat to the safety of public health, since the undocumented are not granted health care access, unless due to emergency circumstances. According to , undocumented immigrants tend to avoid health care institutions in general due to fear of …show more content…
These services include, but are not limited to, the following: non-emergency Medicaid; Medicare benefits; and market place health insurance plans. Undocumented residents, however, can receive emergency services at hospitals and temporary, emergency Medicaid (if income guidelines are met), as well as, services that are provided by non-emergency health services at community health centers or safety-net hospitals (“Immigrants and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) - National Immigration Law Center,” n.d.). Although the ACA has provided insurance to over 17 million previously, uninsured citizens and permanent residents, it has left out one of the most secluded, under served and vulnerable populations: illegal immigrants or undocumented workers (Ortega,