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Impact of the Introduction of the Electronic Health Insurance Card on the Use of Medical Services by Asylum Seekers in Germany

Author

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  • Kevin Claassen

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany)

  • Pia Jäger

    (Department of Psychiatry Psychotherapy and Preventative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, LWL-University Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany)

Abstract

Objectives: Asylum seekers in Germany represent a highly vulnerable group from a health perspective. Furthermore, their access to healthcare is restricted. While the introduction of the Electronic Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for asylum seekers instead of healthcare-vouchers is discussed controversially using politico-economic reasons, there is hardly any empirical evidence regarding its actual impact on the use of medical services. The aim of the study is to examine this impact on the use of medical services by asylum seekers as measured by their consultation rate of ambulant physicians (CR). Study Design: For this purpose, a standardized survey was conducted with 260 asylum seekers in different municipalities, some of which have introduced the EHIC for asylum seekers, while others have not. Methods: The period prevalence was compared between the groups “with EHIC” and “without EHIC” using a two-sided t -test. Multivariate analysis was done using a linear OLS regression model. Results: Asylum seekers in possession of the EHIC are significantly more likely to seek ambulant medical care than those receiving healthcare-vouchers. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that having to ask for healthcare-vouchers at the social security office could be a relevant barrier for asylum seekers.

Suggested Citation

  • Kevin Claassen & Pia Jäger, 2018. "Impact of the Introduction of the Electronic Health Insurance Card on the Use of Medical Services by Asylum Seekers in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-11, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:5:p:856-:d:143189
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Graeme D. Ruxton, 2006. "The unequal variance t-test is an underused alternative to Student's t-test and the Mann--Whitney U test," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 17(4), pages 688-690, July.
    2. Kayvan Bozorgmehr & Oliver Razum, 2015. "Effect of Restricting Access to Health Care on Health Expenditures among Asylum-Seekers and Refugees: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Germany, 1994–2013," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-22, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Saleh Aljadeeah & Veronika J. Wirtz & Eckhard Nagel, 2021. "Barriers to Accessing Medicines among Syrian Asylum Seekers and Refugees in a German Federal State," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-16, January.
    2. Osnat Keidar & David S. Srivastava & Emmanouil Pikoulis & Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos, 2019. "Health of Refugees and Migrants—Where Do We Stand and What Directions Should We Take?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-8, April.
    3. Pia Jäger & Kevin Claassen & Notburga Ott & Angela Brand, 2019. "Does the Electronic Health Card for Asylum Seekers Lead to an Excessive Use of the Health System? Results of a Survey in Two Municipalities of the German Ruhr Area," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-9, April.
    4. Anna Christina Nowak & Yudit Namer & Claudia Hornberg, 2022. "Health Care for Refugees in Europe: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-10, January.

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