The Community Health Center of New London has been serving immigrant communities for more than 50 years. Their mission is not only to provide medical care, but to ensure that the care they provide is the best possible. As a Peruvian immigrant, it was a dream come true to work in this environment and use my skills for the benefit of the community after completing my PhD.
I quickly realized that this was a bittersweet reality. Most of my patients are undocumented immigrants who are excluded from HUSKY Medicaid, Medicare, Access Health CT State Exchanges, and are often denied private insurance coverage.
I found myself working in a system where the quality of care I provided was determined by the patient's immigration status. After completing my studies, I vowed to not consider religion, nationality, race, or social status between my duties and my patients. Our state's health care system needs to improve.
Last year, the Connecticut General Assembly approved expanding Medicaid to undocumented children under the age of 15. This is a huge win for our community and brings peace of mind to parents who worry about their children's health every day. But what if your child is over the age of 15? In situations where you need urgent care, you can access the Emergency Medicaid Program, which provides care to individuals regardless of their immigration status. While this program provides some protection, the costs to states are significant.
Recent studies show that allowing undocumented immigrants to enroll in Medicaid could save an estimated $63 million to $72 million in unpaid hospital care. Connecticut has a large immigrant community, consisting of 113,000 undocumented immigrants who contribute approximately $185.7 million in state and local taxes. So why deny hard-working people access to affordable health care?
The General Assembly has an opportunity to close the gap on health inequities and expand access to state insurance for all immigrants, regardless of age or undocumented status.
Guaranteing health care for all as a human right will be a transformative moment for our country. Not only will it keep people healthier and happier and extend life expectancy, it will also be a huge step forward in creating more vibrant communities.
Katherine Hinojosa is a Doctor of Nursing Practice at the Community Health Center of New London.
Related article:
- One year after its release, strong demand is seen for HUSKY for immigrants
- What you need to know about CT's HUSKY insurance for immigrant children
- CT supporters rally to call for further expansion of HUSKY for immigrants
