title: [Transnational health service utilization by Mexican immigrants in the United States].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Document the transnational utilization of health resources and services by Mexican immigrants in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between December 2009-February 2011, Interviews and focus groups were conducted in California and four states of México. Data were collected from 135 individuals, including return migrants, allopathic physicians and traditional healers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Faced with obstacles to accessing US health care and some health services within the Mexican system, many immigrants within the US make use of Mexican health resources and services, either from a distance or during visits to Mexico. These resources and services include allopathic medicine, traditional medicine, and home remedies and medicines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The legal status of immigrants and their access to health insurance in the US are related to whether their transnational use of Mexican health resources and services is formal or informal; immigrants who are undocumented and without health insurance are the most vulnerable.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Sistemas de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Tonatiuh Tomás
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: González-Vázquez
authors.affiliation: Secretaría de Desarrollo Social del Estado de Morelos, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Cristian Armando
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Torres-Robles
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Sistemas de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México, 62100, blanca.pelcastre@insp.mx.
authors.forename: Blanca Estela
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Pelcastre-Villafuerte
mesh_terms: D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States