title: Medicaid use by documented and undocumented farm workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite considerable debate surrounding the use of Medicaid by undocumented immigrants, few studies address the extent of this use or estimate differences in the use between documented and undocumented households.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from the National Agricultural Workers Survey annual cross sections from 1993 through 2009, N = 41,342. Simple mean differences and logistic regressions predicted participation in Medicaid over 2-year intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Without adjustments for covariates, 12.2% of undocumented farm workers' households and 22.6% of documented households received Medicaid benefits, corresponding to an odds ratio of 0.48 (95% confidence interval, 0.33 to 0.69). By adding only covariates reflecting presence of children in the household, the odds ratio increased to 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.73 to 1.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Undocumented farm workers' households were roughly half as likely to use Medicaid as documented households, and undocumented households' participation was especially responsive to the presence of children.
authors.affiliation: From the Korea Energy Economics Institute (Dr Chung), Seoul, South Korea; and Center for Healthcare Policy and Research and Department of Public Health Sciences (Dr Leigh), University of California Davis School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Yoon-Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: J Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Leigh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000067565:Farmers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D000069756:Undocumented Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult