Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Volume 22, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 683-699

Explaining public support (or lack thereof) for extending health coverage to undocumented immigrants (Article)

Sanchez G.R. , Sanchez-Youngman S.* , Murphy A.A.R. , Goodin A.S. , Santos R. , Burciaga Valdez R.
  • a Department of Political Science, University of New Mexico, United States
  • b Department of Political Science, University of New Mexico, United States
  • c Applied social scientist specializing in qualitative and quantitative research design, Implementation, and analysis, Variety of policy arenas, United States
  • d University of Oklahoma Public Opinion Learning Laboratory, American Studies, American Studies department at the University of New Mexico, United States
  • e Department of Economics, University of New Mexico, United States
  • f RWJF Professor Family and Community Medicine and Economics, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center, University of New Mexico, United States

Abstract

While the recent passage of health care reform is estimated to provide millions of currently uninsured Americans with access to health coverage, undocumented immigrants are excluded from federal mandates. Since federal reform excludes undocumented immigrants, state governments will largely decide the fate of this vulnerable population. This article investigates public support for including undocumented immigrants in state health care reform efforts in New Mexico. Understanding the public's perception of extending health coverage to this population is important because public opinion influences health policy formation at the state and federal levels. Our results suggest that there is little support for including undocumented immigrants (or recent migrants from other parts of the United States) in state health care reform, particularly when compared with other segments of the New Mexican population, such as the homeless or unemployed. Our discussion highlights the economic and public health consequences of excluding undocumented immigrants from coverage options.

Author Keywords

State health reform immigrants Public opinion Health reform

Index Keywords

government public opinion State Government Transients and Migrants Health Care Reform Insurance, Health health care policy insurance Article Insurance Coverage New Mexico health insurance legal aspect human Humans migration United States
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-80051625698&doi=10.1353%2fhpu.2011.0043&partnerID=40&md5=8f614425dba2c2c728ab56356278c7a6
DOI: 10.1353/hpu.2011.0043
ISSN: 10492089
Cited by: 11
Original Language: English