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Scholars study health disparities, immigrant legislation The Presidential Scholars Program brings students from each of MUSC’s six colleges together each year to study broad issues impacting health care. The overall theme this year is the relationship between health care disparities and legislation. Students worked in interdisciplinary teams on specific areas of this theme. This piece on immigrant health is the first of a series of articles highlighting the results of their work. In the last 10 years, 20,000 United States citizens were born to Hispanics, both legal and illegal. Hispanics make up 14.1 percent of the total population in the United States, which is approximately 41.3 million people. South Carolina has one of the fastest growing Hispanic immigrant populations in the United States.   In the Charleston area there are 50,000 people of Hispanic descent. Although many people refer to all Hispanics as Mexicans, people from this country make up only 52 percent of our Hispanic population, while 14 percent are from Puerto Rico, 4 percent from Cuba, and 29 percent from elsewhere in South and Central America.   Immigrants face tremendous barriers to health care and basic services that most American citizens take for granted. These barriers lead to overwhelming health disparities throughout the Hispanic community. Lack of financial security, poor educational opportunities, language restrictions, and difficulty obtaining citizenship are all barriers that contribute to the difficult transitions many immigrants encounter.   Our goal was to bring the most pertinent and significant issues facing the Hispanic community to our representatives in government. We expect our legislators to help eliminate these devastating barriers facing Hispanics, both by changing laws that discriminate and by implementing new policies and procedures. On the federal level, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 limits federal and state services available to illegal immigrants.  Health care policies such as PRWORA deny people basic necessities through a lack of health care or related disparities.  Intended or not, these acts and others like them are why Hispanic immigrants have exceedingly substandard, insufficient, and inadequate access to health care versus other groups in America, as numerous studies have shown.   Currently there are three state laws in place that directly impact the Hispanic community.    The first is H3205, which states that undocumented workers are not eligible for compensation, lost wages, or medical damages under worker’s compensation.  The second two are of particular importance for South Carolina health care workers, and indeed, anyone who cares for the health and wellbeing of residents of our state.   H3753 prohibits hospitals receiving state funds from providing non-reimbursable, non-emergency health care services to an illegal alien unless that person provides payment for the services.   H4022, entitled the “Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act,” makes employers responsible for paying the cost of medically necessary services for their undocumented workers, in cases where the employer is aware that the worker has not entered the country legally.   For example, imagine the impact on a small farmer, already operating on a shoe-string budget, now faced with the choice of not having enough workers to harvest the crop or risking foreclosure if forced to bear the full costs of medical services of his uninsured workers and their families.   The solution to the problem of health disparities is the responsibility of every individual, every community, and every government official. To eliminate these disparities, there must be changes in policies and laws, changes that guarantee equality in the United States. The immigrant population has yet to build political clout. This makes them easy targets for potentially damaging legislation, while at the same time facing a lack of progressive legislation that would address their barriers to health care access.   In the United States of America, our pledge of Allegiance boasts liberty and justice for all.  But this ideal is not upheld for Hispanic immigrants. As future health care providers, it is our responsibility to ensure equal and just access to health care for all persons living in this country, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, citizenship, or political considerations. Presidential Scholars Symposium Noon to 1 p.m. April 3 and April 5 Room 100 Basic Science Building Free lunch to the first 50 students April 3: “National Health Insurance: Pros and Cons.” Film on U.S. and Canadian health systems/panel/participation April 5: “Losing Ground When You Don’t Speak Up.” A review of recent legislation that will affect you and your patients. Elimination of SCRIPT Program Elimination of Rural Emergency Services Reduced Funding for Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry Reduced Funding for Diversity training     Friday, March 24, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. 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