Insurance for Arab women migrants v their counterparts in their homelands
In the United States, Arab migrant women are part of an immigrant population from the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) regions. Health insurance coverage for this group depends on their legal and income statuses. In essence, several thousand have gained coverage under the now threatened Affordable Care Act, with others covered under Medicare, Medicaid, or alternative sources of private insurance. This group majorly comprises of current U.S citizens of Arab origin (Amer & Awad, 2015).
However, non-citizen Arab women migrants fall under the 21 percent uninsured residents. These individuals include both undocumented and legally present Arab immigrants. In essence, the proportion is ineligible for ACA, Medicare, and Medicaid coverage because of their immigration status. Notably, legal Arab women immigrants qualify for marketplace subsidies, with those who have stayed in the country for over five years eligible for Medicaid (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2016).
On the other hand, their counterparts in MENA find it harder accessing health insurance because of the associated costs and insurance structures. Such cases result in many uninsured women that may fail to acquire treatment. Essentially, insurance coverage is only possible either through government funded programs or limited private coverage. Also, unlike their U.S based counterparts, women in MENA may find it hard accessing family planning services, especially those associated with Planned Parenthood (Amer & Awad, 2015).
Finally, contrary to their U.S peers, MENA-based Arab women have a less likelihood of accessing maternal and child care services. As Amer and Awad (2015) suggest, these women may lack regular outpatient care and have a high potential of admission for avoidable conditions. That is, unlike their MENA peers, Arab American women are more likely to rely on family support, more liable to be married, and very likely to depend on federally funded health care. In such instances, they would experience a gradual decline in their health statuses. Their high percentage of non-insurance implies that such women receive less professional services than their U.S based counterparts (Amer & Awad, 2015).
Urgent care v primary care
Urgent care centers entail the provision of essential outpatient care services for treating injuries as well as chronic and acute conditions. Urgent care medicine requires a comprehensive to aid in streamlining such processes. According to Weinick, Bristol, and DesRoches (2009), care excellence depends on the knowledge pool visible among healthcare providers within the model. Such providers communicate and collaborate among themselves as a way of easing service delivery (Weinick, Bristol, & DesRoches, 2009).
Unlike their counterparts living in the U.S, most women in MENA do not get to enjoy the apparent advantages of urgent care centers. The reason that the model is relatively new thus remains restricted to the Western world. Given this limitation, they may lack the convenience tied to urgent care centers compared to traditional PCP visits. That said, their health care systems are unable to fill the gap presented by traditional emergency medicine. Clearly, there is an absence of walk-in urgent treatments for non-life threatening conditions (Weinick, et al., 2009).
Contrarily, primary care centers are a universal health provision initiative that encompasses the daily healthcare needs offered by primary care physicians (PCPs). These physicians act as the principal contact for the current and continuing care of a patient present in the system. U.S based PCPs have a precise definition of their roles, based on specialty professionals such as family physicians, general practitioners, ANPs, and physician assistants (Bates, 2010).
However, the MENA region presents a situation where a majority of PCPs may include clinical officers, RNs, and pharmacists. Given this analysis, one can see that their counterparts in the U.S may have access to enhanced health care services. That is, unlike their peers in the MENA region, Arab American women have access to PCPs that improve health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and comparatively reduce health care spending. From this discussion, one notes that PCPs remain a crucial element in strengthening the sustainability of the healthcare system (Bates, 2010).
Healthcare changes from Arab women being in their homeland compared to coming to the US
One could compare changes in healthcare between Arab American women and their counterparts in MENA based on three issues. These problems include the scope of coverage, accessibility, and care quality. First, most countries in the MENA region have, in the past, overlooked the women and child health as an important initiative to their health care plans. Gradually, however, they have come to recognize it as a step forward through vital policy programs in their health sectors. Over time, there is an increasing presence of national and private investment in women health for enhanced quality in service delivery (Orach, 2009).
On the other hand, their counterparts in the US experience changes in the quality of care following enhanced access a variety of quality services charged based on personal demands. For instance, unlike their MENA peers, Arab American women gain from the country’s massive investment in critical health issues regarding women health. These problems include better-equipped breast cancer centers, reproductive health clinics, and child and maternal care options (Jacobson & Jazowski, 2011).
Second, unlike their counterparts served under MENA governments, Arab American women in the US exchanges changes in benefit from a wider scope of services classified under women healthcare. In essence, the government often sets standards aimed at enhancing the scope of benefits available for women healthcare plans. Current health care laws protect these women’s access to a series of health services, among them the child and maternal care, abortion, as well as breast and cervical cancer screening (Jacobson & Jazowski, 2011).
Further, insurance cover plans now include, on cost sharing or full coverage basis, access to additional services such as family planning, Pap tests, and mammograms. Other private and federally funded plans are particular in providing prescribes contraceptive, breastfeeding supplies, as well as domestic violence screening services. Such services are widely absent and unpopular back in their homeland MENA region (Orach, 2009).
Lastly, Arab American women may find it easier to afford and access health care compared to their MENA peers. Accessibility and affordability remain serious healthcare concerns for women around the MENA region. In a sense, Arab American women solely face issues with both elements due to the high costs related to healthcare. On the other hand, the main reason why uninsured women in MENA report poor accessibility is that they live in underserved areas (Orach, 2009).
Recommendations for government agencies and aid organizations
First, legal changes recommendations consider restructuring the U.S health care system to offer full access to care regardless of the beneficiary’s citizenship status. Also, the government could look into promoting legislations aimed at the delayed deportation of women under care until the completion of their care plans. Finally, it would be ideal for the government to grant legal status to undocumented immigrant women to access health care after three years (Hacker, Anies, Folb, & Zallman, 2015).
Second, aid agencies could advocate for new health insurance coverage alternatives aimed at supporting undocumented Arab women and their ultimate access to healthcare. Such options include a variety of plans offered at a low-cost and expanded coverage. This element should, however, require that undocumented immigrants make occasional financial contributions to plans targeting their care practices (Hacker, et al., 2015).
Third, it would be essential for the government to expand the current safety net options in a way that accommodates the health care requirements of undocumented Arab women. This move would include expanding free family planning, TB, STI, and maternal child health clinics. Notably, such areas are vastly absent in the public and private organizations that serve the healthcare needs of women in MENA regions (Hacker, et al., 2015).
Fourth, aid agencies could consider training physicians and RNs on the importance of cultural competence when dealing with Arab women. Notably, numerous providers do not understand the applicability of current policies concerning undocumented Arab women immigrants. The emphasis on cultural awareness is crucial in improving the present and future services on women health (Hacker, et al., 2015).
Finally, there is a need to educate Arab American women on the main issues that define women health in the United States. Such programs are vital and relevant to understanding the differences between the American and MENA healthcare systems. For instance, the program could introduce some of the controversial topics on family planning that would be present in the US but absent in MENA. The educators act as cultural ambassadors that help in driving the country’s healthcare objectives (Hacker, et al., 2015).
References
Amer, M., & Awad, G. (2015). Handbook of Arab American Psychology. Routledge: New York, NY.
Bates, D. (2010). Primary Care and the US Health Care System: What Needs to Change? Journal of General Internal Medicine, 25 (10), 998–999.
Hacker, K., Anies, M., Folb, B., & Zallman, L. (2015). Barriers to health care for undocumented immigrants: a literature review. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 8, 175-183.
Jacobson, P., & Jazowski, S. (2011). Physicians, the Affordable Care Act, and Primary Care: Disruptive Change or Business as Usual? Journal of General Internal Medicine, 26 (8), 934-937.
Kaiser Family Foundation. (2016). Key Facts about the Uninsured Population. Retrieved from Kaiser Family Foundation : http://kff.org/uninsured/fact-sheet/key-facts-about-the-uninsured-population/
Orach, G. (2009). Health equity: challenges in low income countries. Journal of African Health Sciences, 9 (2), 49-51.
Weinick, R., Bristol, S., & DesRoches, C. (2009). Urgent care centers in the U.S.: Findings from a national survey. BMC Health Services Research, 2009 (9), 1-8.
