Abstract
Objectives. We compared the health care expenditures of immigrants residing in the United States with health care expenditures of US-born persons. Methods. We used the 1998 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey linked to the 1996-1997 National Health Interview Survey to analyze data on 18398 US-born persons and 2843 immigrants. Using a 2-part regression model, we estimated total health care expenditures, as well as expenditures for emergency department (ED) visits, office-based visits, hospital-based outpatient visits, inpatient visits, and prescription drugs. Results. Immigrants accounted for $39.5 billion (SE = $4 billion) in health care expenditures. After multivariate adjustment, per capita total health care expenditures of immigrants were 55% lower than those of US-born persons ($1139 vs $2546). Similarly, expenditures for uninsured and publicly insured immigrants were approximately half those of their US-born counterparts. Immigrant children had 74% lower per capita health care expenditures than US-born children. However, ED expenditures were more than 3 times higher for immigrant children than for US-born children. Conclusions. Health care expenditures are substantially lower for immigrants than for US-born persons. Our study refutes the assumption that immigrants represent a disproportionate financial burden on the US health care system.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1431-1438 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | American Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 95 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2005 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cite this
Health care expenditures of immigrants in the United States : A nationally representative analysis. / Mohanty, Sarita A.; Woolhandler, Steffie; Himmelstein, David U.; Pati, Susmita; Carrasquillo, Olveen; Bor, David H.
In: American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 95, No. 8, 01.08.2005, p. 1431-1438.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Health care expenditures of immigrants in the United States
T2 - A nationally representative analysis
AU - Mohanty, Sarita A.
AU - Woolhandler, Steffie
AU - Himmelstein, David U.
AU - Pati, Susmita
AU - Carrasquillo, Olveen
AU - Bor, David H.
PY - 2005/8/1
Y1 - 2005/8/1
N2 - Objectives. We compared the health care expenditures of immigrants residing in the United States with health care expenditures of US-born persons. Methods. We used the 1998 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey linked to the 1996-1997 National Health Interview Survey to analyze data on 18398 US-born persons and 2843 immigrants. Using a 2-part regression model, we estimated total health care expenditures, as well as expenditures for emergency department (ED) visits, office-based visits, hospital-based outpatient visits, inpatient visits, and prescription drugs. Results. Immigrants accounted for $39.5 billion (SE = $4 billion) in health care expenditures. After multivariate adjustment, per capita total health care expenditures of immigrants were 55% lower than those of US-born persons ($1139 vs $2546). Similarly, expenditures for uninsured and publicly insured immigrants were approximately half those of their US-born counterparts. Immigrant children had 74% lower per capita health care expenditures than US-born children. However, ED expenditures were more than 3 times higher for immigrant children than for US-born children. Conclusions. Health care expenditures are substantially lower for immigrants than for US-born persons. Our study refutes the assumption that immigrants represent a disproportionate financial burden on the US health care system.
AB - Objectives. We compared the health care expenditures of immigrants residing in the United States with health care expenditures of US-born persons. Methods. We used the 1998 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey linked to the 1996-1997 National Health Interview Survey to analyze data on 18398 US-born persons and 2843 immigrants. Using a 2-part regression model, we estimated total health care expenditures, as well as expenditures for emergency department (ED) visits, office-based visits, hospital-based outpatient visits, inpatient visits, and prescription drugs. Results. Immigrants accounted for $39.5 billion (SE = $4 billion) in health care expenditures. After multivariate adjustment, per capita total health care expenditures of immigrants were 55% lower than those of US-born persons ($1139 vs $2546). Similarly, expenditures for uninsured and publicly insured immigrants were approximately half those of their US-born counterparts. Immigrant children had 74% lower per capita health care expenditures than US-born children. However, ED expenditures were more than 3 times higher for immigrant children than for US-born children. Conclusions. Health care expenditures are substantially lower for immigrants than for US-born persons. Our study refutes the assumption that immigrants represent a disproportionate financial burden on the US health care system.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2004.044602
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2004.044602
M3 - Article
VL - 95
SP - 1431
EP - 1438
JO - American Journal of Public Health
JF - American Journal of Public Health
SN - 0090-0036
IS - 8
ER -