Unequal Access and Use of Health Care Services among Settled Immigrants, Recent Immigrants, and Locals: A Comparative Analysis of a Nationally Representative Survey in Chile

Marcela Oyarte, Baltica Cabieses, Isabel Rada, Alice Blukacz, Manuel Espinoza and Edward Mezones-Holguin
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Marcela Oyarte: Unidad de Estudios, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago 7780050, Chile
Baltica Cabieses: Programa de Estudios Sociales en Salud ICIM, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610315, Chile
Isabel Rada: Programa de Estudios Sociales en Salud ICIM, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610315, Chile
Alice Blukacz: Programa de Estudios Sociales en Salud ICIM, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610315, Chile
Manuel Espinoza: ETESA UC, Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
Edward Mezones-Holguin: Centro de Excelencia en Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales en Salud, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima 15024, Peru

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-20

Abstract: Globally, and particularly in the Latin American region, international migration continues to grow. Access and use of health care services by migrants vary according to their country of origin and residence time. We aimed to compare the access and use of health care services between international migrants (including settled migrants from Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador; Emerging migrants from Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Haiti; and migrants from other countries) and the Chilean population. After performing a secondary data analysis of population-based nationally representative surveys (CASEN 2011–2017), access and use patterns (insurance, complementary insurance, non-consultation, and non-treatment coverage) were described and compared among settled immigrants, recent emerging immigrants, others, and locals. Immigrants had a significantly higher uninsured population compared to locals. Specifically, in CASEN 2017, 19.27% of emerging (95% CI: 15.3–24.1%), 11.79% of settled (95% CI: 10.1–13.7%), and 2.25% of locals (95% CI: 2.1–2.4%) were uninsured. After 2013, settled and recent emerging migrants showed higher percentages of non-consultation. Collaborative and interculturally relevant strategies from human rights and equity perspectives are needed. Initiatives with a particular focus on recent immigrants can contribute to reducing the existing disparities in health care access and use with locals due to lack of insurance and treatment coverage.

Keywords: health systems; accessibility; migration; health inequalities; Latin America; Chile (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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