title: Impact of Alabama's immigration law on access to health care among Latina immigrants and children: implications for national reform.
abstract: We conducted in-depth interviews in May to July 2012 to evaluate the effect of Alabama's 2011 omnibus immigration law on Latina immigrants and their US- and foreign-born children's access to and use of health services. The predominant effect of the law on access was a reduction in service availability. Affordability and acceptability of care were adversely affected because of economic insecurity and women's increased sense of discrimination. Nonpregnant women and foreign-born children experienced the greatest barriers, but pregnant women and mothers of US-born children also had concerns about accessing care. The implications of restricting access to health services and the potential impact this has on public health should be considered in local and national immigration reform discussions.
authors.affiliation: Kari White and Nir Menachemi are with the Department of Health Care Organization and Policy, and Isabel C. Scarinci is with the Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham. Valerie A. Yeager is with the Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Valerie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Yeager
authors.forename: Nir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Menachemi
authors.forename: Isabel C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Scarinci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000407:Alabama; D002648:Child; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011050:Policy Making; D011247:Pregnancy; D036301:Qualitative Research