Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The myth of undocumented immigrants using American health care

Brad Wright, PhD
Policy
May 17, 2011
Share
Tweet
Share

I hear it all the time: “All these illegals are coming over here and they don’t pay taxes, but they get all these government handouts and they’re clogging up our health care system …”

I often point out that many undocumented immigrants actually do obtain a taxpayer identification number for the express purpose of paying taxes in hopes that if a path to citizenship ever becomes a reality for the undocumented in this country, they will have a record of their contributions into the system. I don’t think people believe me when I tell them this. But perhaps they’ll pay attention to the information from a recently published study by Dejun Su and colleagues.

The study, “Cross-Border Utilization of Health Care: Evidence from a Population-Based Study in South Texas” appears in the latest issue of Health Services Research. While many of the people whose social circles overlap my own are of the opinion that all the immigrants are crossing over into the U.S. to take advantage of all our “widely available free care”–you know, the ER variety–this study showed the opposite: people are headed from the U.S. to Mexico for care.

Of course, that’s not the case generally. The study looked only at border towns, and specifically, found that those who were uninsured and/or in poor health were the most likely to head to Mexico for care. But the point is that about 50% of the residents of border towns do actually go to Mexico for care. Some of these are undocumented immigrants heading back to their homeland for care, but others are U.S. citizens who are finding it more cost-effective to head to a Mexican physician or pharmacy.

This study actually speaks volumes. Opponents of health reform claim that the U.S. has the best health care system in the world, and that the uninsured can get health care whenever they want it, by going to an emergency room. If this were truly the case, the flow of cross-border health care seeking behavior would be unidirectional, with everyone pouring into the U.S., but it isn’t. Instead, many people find it better to go to Mexico, where care is far more affordable, and I expect, absent improvements in our health care system, more and more people will choose to do so and will make the journey from farther away.

After all, medical tourism is already a booming business far beyond Mexico. I just wonder if the people of Juarez are as disgusted with those of us crossing into Mexico to see their doctors as we are about them coming here. Something tells me they’re not.

Brad Wright is a health policy doctoral student who blogs at Wright on Health.

Submit a guest post and be heard on social media’s leading physician voice.

Prev

Prevent foot fractures while wearing heels

May 17, 2011 Kevin 2
…
Next

Why powerful men risk their family and career

May 17, 2011 Kevin 9
…

Tagged as: Patients, Public Health & Policy

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Prevent foot fractures while wearing heels
Next Post >
Why powerful men risk their family and career

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Brad Wright, PhD

  • If your hospital closes, does patient care suffer?

    Brad Wright, PhD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    We have the power to prevent disease. But we’re not using it.

    Brad Wright, PhD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    The uninsured rate has fallen, but it may soon rise

    Brad Wright, PhD

More in Policy

  • How locum tenens work helps physicians and APPs reclaim control

    Brian Sutter
  • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

    Ilan Shapiro, MD
  • Why physician voices matter in the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ laws

    BJ Ferguson
  • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

    Carlin Lockwood
  • What Adam Smith would say about America’s for-profit health care

    M. Bennet Broner, PhD
  • The lab behind the lens: Equity begins with diagnosis

    Michael Misialek, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

      Jordan Williamson, MEd | Education
    • Why what doctors say matters more than you think [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

      Jordan Williamson, MEd | Education
    • Why the fear of being forgotten is stronger than the fear of death [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How a rainy walk helped an oncologist rediscover joy and bravery

      Dr. Damane Zehra | Physician
    • How inspiration and family stories shape our most meaningful moments

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • A day in the life of a WHO public health professional in Meghalaya, India

      Dr. Poulami Mazumder | Physician
    • Why women doctors are still mistaken for nurses

      Emma Fenske, DO | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 11 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

      Jordan Williamson, MEd | Education
    • Why what doctors say matters more than you think [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

      Jordan Williamson, MEd | Education
    • Why the fear of being forgotten is stronger than the fear of death [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How a rainy walk helped an oncologist rediscover joy and bravery

      Dr. Damane Zehra | Physician
    • How inspiration and family stories shape our most meaningful moments

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • A day in the life of a WHO public health professional in Meghalaya, India

      Dr. Poulami Mazumder | Physician
    • Why women doctors are still mistaken for nurses

      Emma Fenske, DO | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

The myth of undocumented immigrants using American health care
11 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...