US immigrants are afraid to seek medical help during the coronavirus pandemic

Because fear of Chinese coronavirus spread throughout the country, people prtake various precautions. These include working from home, stocking up food, and visiting doctors. due to any possible symptoms. However for many low-income immigrants these precautions luxury goods, making them particularly vulnerable during a pandemic, reports Vox.

To date, the federal government has taken a number of measures to support immigrants. In a recent bill to fund $ 8,3 billion worth of protection against Chinese coronavirus, Congress promised $ 100 million for community-based health centers that serve socially disadvantaged groups. In addition, representatives of Diane DeGett (D-CO) and Donna Shalala (D-FL) presented on Tuesday a bill abolishing fees for a medical test for Chinese coronavirus infection, which could amount to almost several hundred dollars for all Americans with insurance.

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However, the problem is that many low-income immigrants do not have health insurance from the start.

It is also disturbing that the Trump administration rule, which makes it difficult for immigrants to obtain a green card when using state benefits, came into force two weeks ago. The rule does not recommend immigrants use Medicaid and potentially deprives these people of access to affordable health care, which is especially dangerous in modern times.

“Epidemics do not discriminate based on status or income,” Louise McCarthy, president of the Los Angeles Clinic Association, told Vox.

Health insurance isn't the only obstacle low-income immigrants face. The language barrier makes it difficult for them to access information about prevention, medical testing and quarantine instructions. The cost of testing and the possibility of missing work days due to quarantine prevent them from reporting their illness. In addition, there is a fear of revealing their migrant status, which may prevent them from visiting any hospitals.

Low-income immigrants face with both financial and social barriers during an outbreak diseases COVID-19

For many low-income immigrants, prevention and testing for infection with Chinese coronavirus is unattainable. Although Democrats hope to pass a bill to abolish testing fees for insured patients (and some states, such as New York and California, have already made efforts to do so), this has not happened yet. In HuffPost, Michael Hobbs reported that for uninsured people, testing at the University of Seattle Medical Center in Washington alone cost $ 250. And in California, uninsured patients must pay between $ 100 and $ 200. For those who are below the poverty line, this is a lot of money.

Many low-paid workers are not given paid sick leave. And for those who live from paycheck to paycheck, it’s difficult to take a day off at their own expense, as this may affect their ability to pay for rental housing.

People have no choice but to continue to work, despite the risk of spreading the disease among others.

In addition, there is a fear of citizenship status that discourages immigrants from seeking the help they need. Some reports show that unregistered immigrants are more likely to shy away from medical facilities for fear of being reported, even though public clinics do not ask for citizenship.

Since the Trump administration is unable to help, community clinics have stepped up

Immigrants' fear of seeking medical care was further fueled by the Trump administration's "public charge" rule, which went into effect on February 24. Because this rule makes it more difficult for immigrants to get a green card if they apply for public assistance from the government. While it is too early to quantify the rule's actual impact, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that one in five low-income immigrant adults expressed concerns about participating in public programs because it could put them at risk of losing their green cards.

Public clinics often inspire immigrants' trust and provide services in their native languages. For example, the Fenix ​​Family Medical Center in Lake County, Illinois provides support to poor Spaniards without insurance. Assistant physician Brandon Berkeley said that more and more patients are coming up with anxiety about COVID-19, and its main role is to quell their fears and teach how not to get sick.

“A lot of people tend to come to our office before going to the emergency room,” Berkley said.

Clinics are also being creative in their work. When the Academy of Medical and Public Health, a member of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), which serves mostly Filipino and Chinese immigrants, realized its clients were inundated with misinformation, it began reaching out to them through WeChat, a popular way for these people to communicate. The academy translated official government responses about Covid-19 into different languages ​​to ensure immigrants received the most accurate instructions possible, said Seonggeun Chun, a senior manager for health policy at NYIC.

Assistance also goes beyond simply providing information about COVID-19. Doug Olson, a practicing physician in Connecticut and vice president of the Association of Counseling Physicians, said his community clinics also help patients stock up on food and diapers as people begin to stockpile in preparation for worsening the outbreak of Chinese coronavirus. Some medical facilities even have modest food storages to help, he added.

“When mayors and governors send emails to people living in this city and tell them they need to prepare for an increase in COVID-19 cases and make sure they have both medicine and food supplies for a month, I don’t think these officials they understand that there are people who have not eaten for more than three days,” noted Doug Olson.

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However, without further federal support, this is all the clinics can do. Their main request is testing kits for Chinese coronavirus infection. By establishing trust with their clients, these community clinics can expand their testing coverage. However, most local clinics do not have access to these kits as there is a nationwide shortage.

Public clinics could be of great importance to low-income immigrants if the government guaranteed that doctors received adequate support and kits for medical tests.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• President Donald Trump signed a decree banning immigrants from entering the countryunable to pay the cost of their health care. Immigrants must have the necessary financial means upon entry into the country or guarantee that they will receive health insurance no later than 30 days from their arrival in the United States.
• Donald Trump administration wants to fight migration refuse green cards to migrants if they receive social security benefits and tax benefits. Current rules affect migrants receiving cash benefits.
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services has published revised and updated formscorresponding to the final rule on the inadmissibility of “public burden”.
• To whom is the rule of "social burden" will block the path to the green card.

The main thing that an immigrant needs to know about the new rule, read in our material.

Read also on ForumDaily:

The situation with coronavirus in New York: the number of cases, the work of transport and institutions

Supreme Court upholds Trump tightening US asylum policy

New York Health Insurance: What Options Do Immigrants Have

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