National policy for immigrant healthcare in the US needed—ACP

This has been stated by a report released by the ACP (American College of Physicians).

The report calls for formulation of new rules for accessing proper healthcare to immigrants in the US.

Immigrants in the US have poor healthcare access--The US has a vast population of immigrants and their numbers seems to be growing, states president of the ACP, Dr. Virginia Hood.

Working as an attending physician at Fletcher Allen Health Care apart from being a nephrologist and an internist in Burlington, Vermont, Dr. Hood states that provision of health insurance is not accessed by many immigrants in the US. This especially holds true for Latino immigrants, she asserts.

That’s the reason why large number of immigrants, without getting healthcare in the US, fall sick and ultimately die younger.

South Carolina bill would prove a barrier to healthcare services for immigrants—Dr. Hood alleges that legislations like a South Carolina bill would deter undocumented immigrants living in the US from getting transported to a hospital and would deny them medical services required by them. The US must have some way to provide healthcare to all, she asserts. Hence, there must be some sort of national strategy that could curb states from passing such bills, she maintained.

Other state legislations prohibit emergency healthcare for immigrants—Dr. Hood , while referring to the legislations introduced by other US states, maintains that immigration status of patients needs to be reported before the immigrant is admitted in the emergency room for treatment.

She worries that such a law could force doctors and physicians to run to immigration officials rather than providing treatment to the immigrant patients. Such legislations are going to deny rights of healthcare to the children whose parents are undocumented immigrants.

Considering the fact that the US is home to around 12 million undocumented immigrants, following things need consideration—

• Adoption of a national law with regard to healthcare for immigrants in the US;

• No restriction of healthcare to immigrants on the basis of their immigration status in the US;

• Immigrants must not be made to pay health insurance coverage out of their own pockets;

• Same access to health insurance coverage for children born in the US whose parents are undocumented immigrants;

• Undocumented immigrants in the US should not be denied the right to prenatal care, primary care, toxic exposure prevention and management of chronic diseases;

• Encouraging all people living in the US to get vaccinations as well as screening for infectious diseases.