How many immigrants don t have access to healthcare?

Asked by: Dr. Ova Stehr PhD  |  Last update: June 23, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (9 votes)

As of 2023, half (50%) of likely undocumented immigrant adults and one in five (18%) lawfully present immigrant adults reported being uninsured compared to less than one in ten naturalized citizen (6%) and U.S.-born citizen (8%) adults.

Why is it hard for immigrants to get healthcare?

They face barriers based upon their cultural practices, religious beliefs, language, discrimination and racism. As a result of their migration, people lose their support networks.

How many Americans don't have access to health care?

The Share of Americans Without Health Insurance in 2023 Remained Low. In 2023, 26 million people — or 8 percent of the population — were uninsured, according to a report in September 2024 from the Census Bureau.

How does immigration affect public health?

Undocumented immigrants have fewer coverage options. California recently expanded Medi-Cal (the state's Medicaid program) to cover all low-income children and young adults, regardless of immigration status, but most undocumented immigrants are older and therefore ineligible.

What percentage of healthcare workers are immigrants?

Immigrants compose 25% of the health aid workforce. As care needs from Baby Boomers increase and Gen X ages, these physically demanding roles will be harder to fill without immigrants. Hospitals also employ immigrants to clean rooms, work in nutrition services, serve as interpreters, and an array of many other jobs.

24 Filipinos in US deported; 80 others up for deportation: envoy | TeleRadyo Serbisyo

28 related questions found

How many immigrants don t have health insurance?

As of 2023, half (50%) of likely undocumented immigrant adults and one in five (18%) lawfully present immigrant adults said they were uninsured compared to 6% of naturalized citizen adults and 8% of U.S.-born citizen adults (Figure 3).

Do migrant workers have access to healthcare?

(4) The expansion does allow undocumented immigrants to access a version of Medi-Cal that covers medical emergencies and pregnancy-related services, and Medi-Cal covers specific conditions regardless of immigration status, but most undocumented immigrants are ineligible for comprehensive coverage.

Do illegal immigrants have access to healthcare?

On Monday, California became the first state in the nation to offer health insurance to all eligible undocumented immigrants. Beginning January 1, immigrants of all ages will be eligible for the state's health insurance program for low-income people, known as Medi-Cal.

How many foreigners come to the U.S. for healthcare?

About 0.5% of all air travelers entering the United States annually—between 100,000 and 200,000 people—list health treatment as a reason for visiting (this data excludes travelers from Canada and Mexico, the majority of whom travel to the United States overland).

What is the major health challenge of the migrant population?

Explore Migrant Health Issues

All of the health care problems found in the general population are found in migrant groups. Some, however, occur more frequently. These include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and asthma.

How many minorities don t have access to healthcare?

Nonelderly AIAN and Hispanic people had the highest uninsured rates at 19.1% and 18.0%, respectively, as of 2022. Uninsured rates for nonelderly NHOPI (12.7%) and Black people (10.0%) also were higher than the rate for their White counterparts (6.6%).

Why is healthcare not accessible to everyone?

Inadequate health insurance coverage is one of the largest barriers to health care access,3 and the unequal distribution of coverage contributes to disparities in health.

How many Americans avoid healthcare due to cost?

Using data from a nationally representative survey of American adults, we find that approximately 1 in every 6 adults reports avoiding needed health care due to cost. Some of our findings are encouraging. For example, Medicare enrollees have levels of these problems no greater than the privately insured.

What percent of U.S. doctors are immigrants?

IMG = International Medical Graduate. Twenty-three percent of the physician workforce in the USA is IMGs. Eighteen percent of the IMGs are US or Canadian born citizens graduated from a Caribbean medical school. Twenty-three percent of the IMGs are from India.

What benefits do immigrants get when they come to America?

receive most federal public benefits, including means-tested benefits such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, sometimes referred to as food stamps), regular Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Can an immigrant get medical?

Immigration Status Doesn't Matter

Applying for or using Medi-Cal will not affect your immigration status. As always, everyone is welcome to apply.

What percentage of the U.S. has no access to healthcare?

Introduction. An estimated 26 million Americans, or 8 percent of the U.S. population, lacked health insurance in 2023.

What percentage of immigrants are in healthcare?

Immigrants play an outsized role at every level of the United States health care system. Immigrants make up 13.6 percent of the U.S. population, but 28.0 percent of the country's 958,000 physicians and surgeons, and 37.9 percent of the 492,000 home health aides.

Are immigrants underrepresented in medicine?

In a number of states, immigrants make up much higher shares of physicians and surgeons than of all health-care workers or all workers in general.

What happens if an undocumented immigrant goes to the hospital?

Such hospitals must evaluate all comers, documented or not, for the presence of an “emergency medical condition” and must try to “stabilize” these individuals before discharge or transfer to another facility. The second federal statute is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).

How many illegal immigrants get Medicaid?

On Monday, California became the first state to expand Medicaid to include all illegal immigrants residing in the state, flooding the state's Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, with as many as 700,000 illegal immigrants despite a record $68 billion state budget deficit.

How does immigration affect health?

Although most immigrant adults report good to excellent health, 14% say they have a health condition that requires ongoing treatment. Income is highly associated with self-reported health status, with worse health status and higher rates of health conditions reported among those with lower incomes.

Why do immigrants not have access to healthcare?

A commonly cited mechanism for excluding undocumented immigrants from health care was laws limiting access to insurance. Because insurance was generally required for affordable care or required to receive services at all, these laws effectively barred access to care.

How much does healthcare cost for immigrants?

KFF analysis of 2021 medical expenditure data shows that, on average, annual per capita health care expenditures for immigrants are about two-thirds those of U.S.-born citizens ($4,875 vs. $7,277) (Figure 3).

Can undocumented immigrants get health insurance through employer?

Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for federal health coverage or access to the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace under the Affordable Care Act. However, they are able to purchase private health coverage or — in some cases — access insurance through their employers.