Uninsured Immigrant Women in Maryland: the Sociodemographic and Political Characteristics

Tomoko Tokunaga

A2: Culture, Literature and Society 2, Poster Presentation, GRID 2009

09:30 AM-11:00 AM, Benjamin Banneker B

Immigrants in the United States are often uninsured: 40% ~ 50% of non-U.S. citizens lack health insurance coverage. Among them, particularly undocumented immigrant women are reported as a vulnerable group. They experience various barriers that hinder their access to health care (Chavez et al, 1997). It is crucial to understand the characteristics of these women in order to provide them an adequate health care but they are often invisible in many studies. In this presentation, I mainly discuss the sociodemographic characteristics of uninsured pregnant immigrants based on four months of fieldwork at a community supported medical clinic in Maryland. The clinic mainly serves low-income immigrant women who receive health care such as prenatal care. I analyzed sociodemographic information (eg. race, age, marital status, nationality, length of time in the US, occupation) of fifty uninsured pregnant patients at this clinic. I also analyzed the qualitative data collected through participant observation and informal conversations with staff and patients. The uninsured immigrant women were mostly Latinas who faced structural, economical, educational and cultural barriers in the United States. Given the harsh conditions these women face, especially those who are undocumented immigrants, the clinic played a significant role in attempting to provide culturally competent and affordable health care to these patients.