The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70029

Cynthia Marie Saunders, PhD, MPH, Health Care Adminstration, California State University - Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840, 562-985-1962, csaunder@csulb.edu

The United States has 42 million people who lack health insurance, with over six million residing in California. At least two million Californians are eligible for public health insurance such as MediCal (also known as Medicaid) and Healthy Families (also known as S-CHIP), but have not yet enrolled. This is particularly true in immigrant communities. This study, conducted in summer 2001, includes interviews with 150 uninsured individuals of Filipino, Latino, and Vietnamese ethnicity who are eligible for public programs based upon household size and income. The purpose of the study is threefold: · To understand barriers to participation in MediCal and Healthy Families; · To inquire into the perceptions of multi-ethnic populations with regard to health care quality, specific health practices and beliefs, traditional healers, informal networks of family and friends, and expected communication with their health care provider; and · To report opinions of specific marketing tools and suggest strategies to streamline and increase enrollment.Results from these interviews will be presented to enhance understanding of immigrant populations and provide policymakers with evidence of the necessity to broaden access to health care.

Learning Objectives:

At the close of this session, the participants will be able to : 1)articulate opinions of multiethnic populations of available public insurance programs;
• discuss perceptions of health car quality of vulnerable populations;
• identify use of indigenous medicine by multiethnic populations; and
• create policy remedies to address problems of access to health care.

Keywords: Access, Immigrants

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.