Insurance & Access

Immigrant families face multiple barriers in accessing health care in the United States, including language, cultural, legal, and economic. One of the most universal barriers is unfamiliarity with the health care system. Regardless of socioeconomic status, English-language proficiency, circumstances of migration, and country of origin, immigrants are more likely than not to be baffled by the administration and delivery of health care in the United States. Managed care, at best, is an alien concept for immigrants. Consequently, immigrant communities are at-risk for poor access to health care services, and are frequently unaware of essential health-related information. The Center for Immigrant Health has made concerted efforts to address this access gap throughout its history and in its diverse projects.

Furthermore, many immigrant children live in poverty and have no health insurance. The Census Bureau estimates that there are 135,000 foreign-born children living in households in New York whose family income is less than 220% of the poverty level, who do not have health insurance. In many cases, children are hospitalized because they have no access to preventive and primary health care services. This lack of access endangers the health of this large population of children, and adds to health care costs. Child Health Plus is a generous health insurance option available to children residing in New York State who are not eligible for Medicaid, but whose families do not earn enough to be able to afford private insurance. A substantial number of foreign-born children are eligible for Child Health Plus (CHP), but do not access it.

In 1998, the Center for Immigrant Health established the Child Health Plus for Immigrant Children (CHPIC) project in response to this gap.