Fear Of Deportation May Be Affecting Immigrants’ Willingness To Seek Out Health Care
Physicians report that they're seeing an uptick in immigrant patients canceling appointments and not coming in for follow-ups.
Modern Healthcare:
Tougher Immigration Enforcement Is Taking A Toll On Healthcare
The Trump administration's more aggressive policy of detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants is posing new challenges for healthcare providers who serve immigrant communities. While there is no definitive proof yet, leaders of community health centers and hospital emergency physicians say they see anecdotal evidence that immigrant patients are making fewer appointments and not coming in for follow-up care. They worry chronic conditions will worsen and infectious diseases will go untreated. (Meyer, 4/21)
In related news —
Kaiser Health News:
Clamping Down On Visas Could Leave Some Areas Underserved By Doctors
Limiting the number of foreign doctors who can get visas to practice in the United States could have a significant impact on certain hospitals and states that rely on them, according to a new study. The research, published online in JAMA this week, found that more than 2,100 U.S. employers were certified to fill nearly 10,500 physician jobs nationwide, in 2016. That represents 1.4 percent of the physician workforce overall. There were wide variations by state and employer, however. (Andrews, 4/21)
