RESUMO

To examine health insurance coverage among the 550,000 U.S.-born minors living in Mexico. Representative data from Mexico's 2018 National Survey of Demographic Dynamics was used to describe health coverage among persons aged 0-17 living in Mexico (N = 78,370). Multinomial logistic regression models were estimated to identify the association between birthplace (Mexico versus the United States) and health insurance coverage in Mexico. 39% of U.S-born minors living in Mexico in 2018 lacked health insurance compared to just 13% of Mexican-born minors. Logistic regression found that, net of potential confounders, being born in the United States was associated with 87% lower odds of being insured among minors in Mexico. U.S.-born minors disproportionately rely on private insurance programs and are particularly likely to be uninsured in the first year back from the United States. Special attention is needed to ensure access to care among U.S.-born minors in Mexico.

Assuntos

Emigrantes e Imigrantes , Acessibilidade aos Serviços de Saúde , Pessoas sem Cobertura de Seguro de Saúde , Adolescente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Humanos , Lactente , México , Inquéritos e Questionários , Estados Unidos

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Despite an expansive body of research on health and access to medical care among Mexican immigrants in the United States, research on return migrants focuses primarily on their labor market mobility and contributions to local development. OBJECTIVE: Motivated by recent scholarship that documents poor mental and physical health among Mexican return migrants, this study investigates return migrants' health insurance coverage and access to medical care. METHODS: I use descriptive and multivariate techniques to analyze data from the 2009 and 2014 rounds of Mexico's National Survey of Demographic Dynamics (ENADID, combined n=632,678). RESULTS: Analyses reveal a large and persistent gap between recent return migrants and non-migrants, despite rising overall health coverage in Mexico. Multivariate analyses suggest that unemployment among recent arrivals contributes to their lack of insurance. Relative to non-migrants, recently returned migrants rely disproportionately on private clinics, pharmacies, self-medication, or have no regular source of care. Mediation analysis suggests that returnees' high rate of uninsurance contributes to their inadequate access to care. CONCLUSION: This study reveals limited access to medical care among the growing population of Mexican return migrants, highlighting the need for targeted policies to facilitate successful reintegration and ensure access to vital resources such as health care.