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International Examples of Undocumented Immigration and the Affordable Care Act

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Abstract

As it stands there is no viable health care option for undocumented immigrants of low socioeconomic status. Even more worrisome is that Affordable Care Act simply does not address this issue with any direct plan. The US is in a very influential time period in terms of undocumented immigration and its relationship with health care. The purpose of this paper is to examine international examples of undocumented immigrant health care and their implications for the United States’ undocumented immigrant health care. This study found that physicians in the US must work to prevent the initiation of policies which exclude undocumented immigrants from accessing health care. Exclusionary policies implemented in European nations have had disastrous effects on physicians and patients. This paper examines the implications which similar policies would have if implemented in the US.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Robert Brook and Dr. Vineet Arora for their feedback on an earlier draft. Matthew Stutz is supported by the University of Chicago Summer Research Program and the NIDDK Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant (5T35DK062719-24). Dr. Baig is supported by a NIDDK Mentored Patient-Oriented Career Development Award (K23 DK087903-01A1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 924 E 57th, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Matthew Stutz

  2. University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Arshiya Baig

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  1. Matthew Stutz
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  2. Arshiya Baig
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Correspondence to Matthew Stutz.

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Stutz, M., Baig, A. International Examples of Undocumented Immigration and the Affordable Care Act. J Immigrant Minority Health 16, 765–768 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9790-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9790-z

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