Young immigrants less likely to use medical care, despite being more likely to report poor health

The estimated 300,000 young California immigrants who are eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) use less medical care than their U.S.-born peers in spite of being more likely to report poor health, according to a new report from the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, and the UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies.   In the report, DACA youth indicate that they often either avoid care completely or seek care outside of the mainstream medical system, except in instances of serious health need. Key barriers to accessing care include cost, limited health care literacy, difficulty navigating the health care system, mistrust of the health care system and its providers, and fear of deportation for themselves or their family members. In this report, recommendations to improve health and access to care are suggested for health care providers, community-based organizations, policymakers and private and public funders.   The report uses data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), information collected in interviews with key immigration and health services providers, experts and advocates, as well as information from focus groups conducted with DACA-eligible young adults in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.   This new report is the second in a two-part series on the profile of the DACA-eligible population in California. The companion report, which was released in February, described the demographics and health care coverage of Californians eligible for DACA. The report found that while  teens and young adults granted DACA are excluded from federal Affordable Care Act health insurance options, up to 125,000 may be eligible for Medi-Cal services under California state policy, based on an analysis of CHIS data.  
Read the report: Realizing the Dream for Californians Eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): Health Needs and Access to Health Care   The UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education was founded in 1964 to conduct research and educate on issues related to labor and employment, such as job quality and workforce development.   The UCLA Center for Health Policy Researchis one of the nation's leading health policy research centers and the premier source of health-related information on Californians. The Center conducts the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the nation’s largest state health survey.   The UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies provides leadership in health policy and health services research, education and training, technical assistance, and public service.

About the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) is one of the nation’s leading health policy research centers and the premier source of health policy information for California. UCLA CHPR improves the public’s health through high quality, objective, and evidence-based research and data that informs effective policymaking. UCLA CHPR is the home of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and is part of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. For more information, visit healthpolicy.ucla.edu.