Access without borders within the US: The case of Medicaid

This presentation will provide an overview of the "islands of care " in the US that must be navigated by any patient. This challenge is exacerbated for an uninsured immigrant to access care, both for economic and for "system" failure reasons, especially when they come from a different country (Mexico) where access to health care is a constitutional right. An overview of the network of federally-funded Community Health Centers will be provided as well as a discussion of safety net programs that are available to the immigrant population. Utilization and barriers that limit participation in such programs with a focus on Medicaid and SCHIP, especially for eligible migrantes who are engaged in migratory agricultural labor, will be included in this session.