The Refugee Medical Assistance System

Controversy over healthcare in the United States has become prominent since the initiation of Obamacare. People assume that the money America puts into healthcare means it has one of the best healthcare systems. In fact, America has one of the worst ranked healthcare systems in the developing world. The people who are most affected by this injustice are people who are vulnerable and cannot advocate for themselves. One group of people who suffer because of the failing healthcare system is refugees. Refugees should not be receiving inadequate healthcare because they “are eligible for public health insurance after arriving in the U.S.” (Mirza, Luna, Mathews, Hasnain, & al, e. 2014). Refugees can overcome the barriers they face with some

After eight months, RMA requires refugees to find other care. Those with long term chronic problems miss out on adequate care. According to a study done on refugees with disabilities and chronic illnesses that have relocated to the Midwest, “Our KIs overwhelmingly agreed that eight months of RMA was woefully inadequate for this group. They also alluded to overall funding shortfalls that preclude extending RMA eligibility” (Mirza, Luna, Mathews, Hasnain, & al, e. 2014). Most refugees who need this coverage are coming in with serious medical issues. Eight months is not enough time to fix these issues. Those with chronic health problems are able to apply for Supplemental Security Income to help support them after the eight months of RMA. However, SSI has many shortcomings when providing healthcare coverage. Denial of coverage is common because there is insufficient evidence of a problem. RMA and its shortcomings connect to denial of coverage because there is no proper documentation of problems. An unwillingness to take a pay cut from their usual rate is a contributing factor to doctors’ unwillingness to work with refugees. Within the RMA system, “KIs reported difficulties in getting appointments with specialist doctors, many of who were cited as being reluctant to accept RMA” (Mirza, Luna, Mathews, Hasnain, & al, e. 2014). Participation is lacking in the

A main objective of SSI should be to make sure everyone who comes through the system has proper documentation of their current health so they have proper documentation for future reference. This will allow them to seek further care if their health status requires it. There is also the concern of doctor’s willingness to care for refugee patients. Since RMA is something provided by the government, it is something that should be easily accessible to those who wish to utilize it. There should be a minimum of at least 6 refugee patients doctors must see each day so they can continue the process of seeking care for their illnesses. Meeting people’s needs faster with a minimum amount of patients allows for better and more effective healthcare access. Improvements to the distribution of coverage within SSI gives those who need it, access to it. Fair distribution of supplemental coverage requires comparing a set of criteria to a person’s health records. Denying this resource to those who need it defeats its purpose. By relooking at the system and allocating resources better, both RMA and SSI can become great resources for refugees seeking coverage. Offering these resources means they need to effectively and consistently provide care to refugees who seek to utilize the system. Effective distribution is going to allow for the best utilization of resources and most consistent