European Journal of Public Health
Volume 17, Issue 5, 2007, Pages 483-485

Health care provision for illegal migrants: May health policy make a difference? (Article) (Open Access)

Torres-Cantero A.M.* , Miguel A.G. , Gallardo C. , Ippolito S.
  • a Department of Health and Social Sciences, Medical School, Murcia University, Murcia, Spain, Department of Health and Social Sciences, Medical School, 30100 Murcia, Spain
  • b Epartment of Health Sciences and Public Health, Rey Juan Carlos University, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
  • c Epartment of Health Sciences and Public Health, Rey Juan Carlos University, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
  • d Institution Building for Asylum in North Africa, UNHCR Geneva, Switzerland

Abstract

Illegal migrants in Europe are, generally, only entitled to emergency care and services for children and pregnant women. In 2002 legal changes in Spain made accessible medical cards and free medical care for illegal migrants in similar terms than the legal migrants or the Spanish population. We interviewed 380 migrants to assess whether there were differences on health services utilization by legal status. We did not find differences in the utilization of health services when ill between legal and illegal migrants. However, a significantly lower utilization of health services was associated with less education (RP = 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2-0.9). © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

illegal migrants access to health care Equatorian migrants Spain Health services utilization

Index Keywords

education educational status health care policy human controlled study priority journal Urban Health Cross-Sectional Studies Confidence interval Humans Adolescent male Spain female Multivariate Analysis health services Article health care utilization major clinical study adult migration legal aspect health care access Patient Acceptance of Health Care Health Policy Transients and Migrants Healthcare Disparities Health Services Accessibility National Health Programs
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-35649015289&doi=10.1093%2feurpub%2fckl266&partnerID=40&md5=d0d1559d55a197c7d31f4e98ec8c2e4b
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckl266
ISSN: 11011262
Cited by: 28
Original Language: English