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Beyond welfare reform: Reframing undocumented immigrants’ entitlement to health care in the United States, a critical review

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  • Viladrich, Anahí

Abstract

This article addresses the main scholarly frames that supported the deservingness of unauthorized immigrants to health benefits in the United States (U.S.) following the passage of the Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), known as the Welfare Reform bill, in 1996. Based on a critical literature review, conducted between January 1997 and March 2011, this article begins with an analysis of the public health rhetorics that endorsed immigrants’ inclusion into the U.S. health safety net. In this vein, the “cost-saving” and “the effortful immigrant” frames underscore immigrants’ contributions to society vis-à-vis their low utilization of health services. These are complemented by a “surveillance” account that claims to protect the American public from communicable diseases. A “maternalistic” frame is also discussed as a tool to safeguard families, and particularly immigrant mothers, in their roles as bearers and caretakers of their American-born children.

Suggested Citation

  • Viladrich, Anahí, 2012. "Beyond welfare reform: Reframing undocumented immigrants’ entitlement to health care in the United States, a critical review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(6), pages 822-829.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:74:y:2012:i:6:p:822-829
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.05.050
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    2. Moysidou, Krystallia & Cohen Chen, Smadar, 2023. "Inducing collective action intentions for healthcare reform through medical crowdfunding framing," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 333(C).
    3. S. N. McClain & C. Bruch & M. Nakayama & M. Laelan, 2020. "Migration with Dignity: a Case Study on the Livelihood Transition of Marshallese to Springdale, Arkansas," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 847-859, September.
    4. Armenta, Amada & Sarabia, Heidy, 2020. "Receptionists, doctors, and social workers: Examining undocumented immigrant women's perceptions of health services," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    5. Willen, Sarah S., 2012. "How is health-related “deservingness” reckoned? Perspectives from unauthorized im/migrants in Tel Aviv," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(6), pages 812-821.
    6. Jimenez, Anthony M., 2021. "The legal violence of care: Navigating the US health care system while undocumented and illegible," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    7. Lo, Ming-Cheng M. & Nguyen, Emerald T., 2021. "Resisting the racialization of medical deservingness: How Latinx nurses produce symbolic resources for Latinx immigrants in clinical encounters," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).

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