I’m conducting some market research on the health insurance market and am particularly interested in the experience of immigrants.

This is for a school project.

I’d really appreciate any responses to these questions:

If you currently have health insurance, why did you choose that insurer/plan?

If you don’t have coverage, what options are available to you?

Is it difficult to find effective healthcare options that are both in coverage and available?

What personal changes would you like to see (in either the healthcare or insurance aspects)?

  • DonJefe
    1•1 year ago

    Immigrant from Spain here. I’ve had multiple health insurance plans since I moved to the US. Here are the answers to your questions:

    1. I currently have one offered by my current employer. I chose it because it was the one with the best benefits for the money. The plan offered by my employer was cheaper and better than anything I could find in the marketplace.
    2. I have coverage.
    3. Equally difficult as for any American. The US healthcare sucks compared to what we get at Spain. It’s more difficult to find providers in network with my insurer because I didn’t have to do that in Spain.
    4. I would love to see the government to take over healthcare, and kick out the for profit insurance companies that make healthcare so expensive in the US. They provide no useful service, but to add more paperwork and prevent care at any chance they get.

    More info about myself. I’m a first gen immigrant from Spain. I’ve had multiple visas and I’m currently a resident. I had always healthcare insurance while at the US. First, through my university, and later on through my employer.

    I find the US healthcare system confusing and too expensive. I much rather have government managed healthcare system like we have in Spain. I paid less in taxes for my healthcare there that I pay now for my private health insurance plan. I also feel I got better care there, and I never had to think twice about going to the doctor for any reason or pushed back care because I couldn’t afford it.