Medical Care for Undocumented Immigrants

Compared to all other populations in the United States, undocumented US immigrant workers have a harder time securing proper medical care due lack of insurance and financial resources. Since many immigrants have jobs that require physical labor, such as farm work, other agricultural labor, and construction, their risk for injury is higher than the risk for those with sedentary jobs. Each day, about 100 people who work in agriculture suffer from an injury that prevents them from returning to work (which leads to a loss of income, too). About half of all hired crop worker injuries were classified as a sprain or strain between 2008 and 2010, and in 2014 about 12,000 young people were injured on farms due to the demanding nature of farm and agricultural work. While the risk for injury for those who perform physical jobs is high, there are not enough health-related resources available to migrants who do this work—leaving many immigrants in need of health services without options.

The State of Medical Care for Undocumented Immigrants

By its nature, emergency care does not allow for much time to consider payment options or follow-up therapy costs. The individual simply needs help fast. But many US hospitals are not equipped to care for immigrants without insurance. Even if they accept the patients for emergency care (which is required by US law), there is no follow-up care or rehabilitation services available to them. Often, this is the most crucial part of their recovery. In some cases, immigrants who need to work to support their families are forced to return to work before they are ready and their symptoms return or quickly worsen.

The Medical Care Solution for Undocumented Immigrants

Fortunately, there is now a viable option for Mexican immigrants in need of immediate emergency or long-term care. Medical repatriation (also referred to as “medical deportation”) describes the process by which patients can return to their home countries to receive proper medical services in Mexico. Allista oversees and carries out the entire medical repatriation process for immigrants who need it by connecting them with Mexico’s leading hospitals. The care plans are personalized, as they pair patients with the hospital or care facility that best suits their specific injuries or long-term rehabilitative needs. They have intimate partnerships with Mexico’s leading hospitals, including Americas Hospital and Hospital en Casa—meaning that patients often receive the same high-quality care they would have received in the United States had they had the insurance necessary for such care. The physicians staffed at these care facilities are specifically trained to handle overuse injuries that occur as a result of physical labor and traumatic injuries resulting from work-related emergencies.  

In addition to the usual care services, Allista can connect patients with a comprehensive suite of rehabilitative services that are often necessary following a severe injury. These include physical therapy, occupational therapy, electrostimulation, neuropsychological therapy, speech and swallowing therapy, and pool therapy. They also offer rehabilitative gyms that are fully equipped with physical therapy weights, cushions, and bars that help restore equilibrium, motor skills, coordination, and muscle strength. The ultimate post-treatment goal is to help these patients return to work and restore their quality of life; Allista is truly committed to patients’ long-term health and well-being!