In the modern globalized world, immigration, especially for employment, is a common socio-economic phenomenon. Millions of immigrants, both documented and undocumented, come to the USA in search of jobs and expose themselves to occupational risks as an unprotected population. In particular, Latino migrant workers are a vulnerable population that sacrifices their health to obtain jobs abroad where they work in an unsafe environment, and further health services are inaccessible. Immigrants often work in service industries under unsafe conditions and inadequate recruitment policies. Their workplace safety is insufficient, and the environment is often polluted, which exposes them to occupational health-related risks. However, regardless of the increased number of factors contributing to the likelihood of chronic illness or injury, this population does not have adequate access to health care services. The reasons for this problem include the lack of language knowledge, inadequate awareness about health services accessibility, psychological constraints, misbalanced cooperation between stakeholders inside the system, and others. Due to inadequate insurance policies, Latino migrant workers in the USA are disproportionately exposed to inadequate health care access, which is why a complex solution including safety improvement, insurance, and recruitment policy changes is required.
Problem Definition
In the USA, migrant workers are predominantly uninsured and are employed under terms that neglect safety, which is why their health is at a high level of risk while access to health care services is diminished. As the statistical data demonstrate, in the United States, there were 26.3 million immigrant workers in 2015, comprising 16.7% of the total workforce (Moyce & Schenker, 2018, p. 352). Latino workers in the USA have diminished access to healthcare due to their under-representation in the current legislation. Indeed, the anti-immigrant agenda in politics that has been popular within the past decade adversely influenced the tendency of Latino immigrants interaction with medical system, leading their poor health (Luque et al., 2018). Thus, although migrant workers constitute a substantial share of the workforce in the USA, they are disproportionately exposed to health risks, and current policies are ineffective in ensuring their adequate access to healthcare.
History of the Problem
The problem of health disparities among immigrants has a long history, with its modern manifestations revealed within the past several decades. With the intensification of migrant workers in the 2000s, immigrants in general and the Latino population, in particular, were under-addressed by employment and immigration policies, leading to their limited awareness about access to health care. Health care legislation concerning insurance omitted undocumented migrants health vulnerability in unsafe US workplaces. According to Luque et al. (2018), although the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) simplified health insurance for the uninsured, undocumented immigrants were specifically excluded from purchasing health insurance coverage (p. 2). Health care was unaffordable for undocumented immigrants, including Latino workers, due to their exclusion from the legislative domain.
Causes of the Problem
The diminished access of immigrant workers to health care is impacted by their difference in culture, language, low income, and psychological barriers due to fear. Indeed, the inadequate social protection and discrimination to which Latino immigrants are exposed daily minimize their likelihood of referring to health services. Among other causes of the problem, researchers note that migrant workers tend to take precarious jobs, have low income, lack documentation, and have little knowledge about the insurance system or the availability of health care (Moyce & Schenker, 2018). Moreover, undocumented Latino immigrants are often ineligible for public insurance programs and, even when eligible, may be fearful of interacting with the healthcare system (Philbin et al., 2018, p. 33). Without proper language knowledge, lack of documented status, psychological constraints, discrimination, and limited awareness about health service accessibility, Latino immigrants avoid seeking medical help. Thus, since migrant employees are culturally and linguistically alienated in the USA, they fear to interact with the system or even do not know about the possibility of accessing health care.
Effects of the Problem
The diminished access to health services is a significant factor contributing to increased morbidity and mortality of Latino migrant workers. Indeed, on a global scale, migrant workers are most likely to be employed in the service sector and work in a dirty and unsafe environment (Moyce & Schenker, 2018). As a result, they disproportionately suffer from severe health impairments, both physical and mental. In particular, Latino migrants are more likely to have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and workplace injuries than their non-Latino counterparts (Philbin et al., 2018). Moreover, Mexican migrant workers aged 18-35 are at a higher level of risk of suffering from anxiety or depression disorder than their counterparts in Mexico (Philbin et al., 2018). The lack of adequate care provided in a timely manner to people with such health issues leads to their diminished well-being and increased mortality. On a more general level, the inadequate access to health represents the states neglect to meet the needs of this vulnerable population, which further deteriorates their trust in the system. Thus, the problem of inadequate access to health care by immigrants results in their poor physical and mental health.
Proposed Solution Evaluation
Due to the complexity and persistent nature of the problem, the solution should address all its causes and effects systematically. Research shows that lack of interpreting services was identified by many studies as an important barrier to effective healthcare for refugees and migrants (Chiarenza et al., 2019, p. 10). This finding validates the need to develop culturally sensitive policies with proper emphasis on linguistic and interpreting services for migrant workers. Moreover, state-level policies are based on driving immigrants away from the state and restrict their rights and access to services (Philbin et al., 2018, p. 32). Thus, it is relevant to change this agenda to meet the needs of Latino workers to welcome them in the USA. Finally, it was found that developing health coordination mechanisms to bring together all participating stakeholders involved in the health response to the influx of refugees is essential (Chiarenza et al., 2019, p. 11). Thus, to resolve the issue, federal policies aimed at improving coordination between stakeholders, linguistic services, and insurance opportunities should be changed to meet the health needs of Latino migrant workers.
Strategies to Effectively Implement the Solution
Since state-level strategies have been deemed ineffective, federal policies should be initiated with adequate resource allocation due to migrant workers economic contribution to the USA. Research shows that immigration-focused legislation impacted Latinos access to social institutions and often created confusion over eligibility for services, even for legal immigrants (Philbin et al., 2018, p. 36). Therefore, it is imperative to integrate all the drawbacks of the current policies and implement a multifaceted solution, including health care system coordination, interpreting services, and raising awareness about services accessibility. It might be relevant to engage with non-profit organizations to yield better results implementing the policies. Thus, to ensure that the problem is resolved fairly and timely, awareness should be raised across the country with consecutive federal policies enacted.
Conclusion
Due to the severity and persistence of Latino migrant workers diminished access to health care, multifaceted federal actions should be taken to solve the issue. Federal authorities should initiate policies for recognizing the health vulnerabilities of Latino migrant workers. Healthcare facilities and recruiting agencies should cooperate with non-profit organizations to obtain interpreting services, raise awareness, and ensure proper action coordination for beneficial outcomes.
References
Chiarenza, A., Dauvrin, M., Chiesa, V., Baatout, S., & Verrept, H. (2019). Supporting access to healthcare for refugees and migrants in European countries under particular migratory pressure.BMC Health Services Research, 19(1), 1-14. Web.
Luque, J. S., Soulen, G., Davila, C. B., & Cartmell, K. (2018). Access to health care for uninsured Latina immigrants in South Carolina.BMC Health Services Research, 18(1), 1-12. Web.
Moyce, S. C., & Schenker, M. (2018). Migrant workers and their occupational health and safety.Annual Review of Public Health, 39, 351-365. Web.
Philbin, M. M., Flake, M., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., & Hirsch, J. S. (2018). State-level immigration and immigrant-focused policies as drivers of Latino health disparities in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, 199, 29-38. Web.