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Getting Health Care and Talking to Your Doctor
Minority Women's Health > Hispanic Americans/Latinas > Health Topics > Getting Health Care and Talking to Your Doctor
Many women can't get the right health services, medicines, and supplies when they need them. Some reasons for this include:
- not having health insurance and/or being able to afford it
- not having a way to get to a doctor
- having physical limitations that make it hard to get to a doctor
- lack of child care
- not being able to take time away from work
- not understanding the language
Problems with language, getting to the doctor, finding child care, immigration status, or cultural differences often stand in the way of Hispanics/Latinas getting needed health care. Hispanics/Latinas who speak Spanish as their main language report being in poorer health than Hispanics/Latinas who speak primarily English. Spanish speaking Hispanics/Latinas are also more likely to not have health insurance. When care is sought, Hispanic/Latina women are likely to have a hard time talking with or understanding their doctor. Interpreters can help bridge this gap. Ask your doctor or nurse for an interpreter the next time you visit.
Among women, Hispanics/Latinas are most likely to be uninsured. About one out of every three Hispanics/Latinas does not have health insurance. This is almost three times the rate for white women. This lack of insurance is due in part to the fact that Hispanics/Latinas are more likely than non-Hispanics to have jobs that do not offer health benefits. In addition, the low incomes of many Hispanics/Latinas, as compared to other groups, make it hard to get health insurance outside of employer- or government-sponsored plans. Even when they are eligible for Medicaid or state-sponsored child health insurance programs, many Hispanic/Latino families fear that enrolling family members in these plans could be used against them when they apply for U.S. citizenship.
More often than any other group, Hispanics/Latinos have no regular source of health care. Hispanics/Latinos also are less likely than whites to make routine office or out-patient visits to the doctor. Because of this, Hispanics/Latinos suffer more from serious health problems that may have been prevented through routine care.
Resources in English
Publications
BPHC Service Delivery Sites: Providing Primary Care to Underserved Populations - This internet site allows users to search a database of health centers offering low-cost health services to underserved populations. Users can search by location and type of service needed. http://www.ask.hrsa.gov/pc/
Frequently Asked Questions - Health Insurance and Women - This publication explains what health insurance is and how it affects women. It gives information on health care options, what to do if you're uninsured, what to do if you don't qualify for government benefits, and what you can do to protect your health insurance benefits. http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/healthins.htm
Improving Health Care Quality: A Guide for Patients and Families - This research-based guide provides information that consumers need when making decisions about health plans, doctors, treatments, hospitals, and long-term care. http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/qntlite/
Insure Kids Now! - Insure Kids Now! is a national campaign that links the nation's 10 million uninsured children, from birth to age 18, to free and low-cost health insurance. http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/
Questions and Answers About Health Insurance: A Consumer Guide - This guide describes different kinds of health insurance plans and answers common questions. There is a glossary of health insurance terms as well as resources for more information. http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/insuranceqa/
Talking with Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People - This brochure is a guide to helping elderly individuals communicate easily and effectively with their physician about their health. http://www.niapublications.org/pubs/talking/index.asp
Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care - This brochure is a guide to choosing healthcare. It gives the consumer information about how to choose a health plan, a doctor, treatments, a hospital, and long term care. http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/qnt/
Organizations
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Administration for Children and Families
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Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, OPHS, HHS
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Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS
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National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, NCCDPHP, CDC
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Office of Minority Health, OPHS, OS, HHS
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National Alliance for Hispanic Health
= Indicates Federal Resources
Recursos en español
Publicaciones
Las 10 mejores maneras de hacer que sus beneficios de salud funcionen para usted - Este folleto discute las diez maneras de cómo elegir y obtener servicios de plan de salud. Cosas cómo elegir calidad, cómo hacer cambios en su plan, cómo presentar una apelación si su reclamo es negado, ext.
http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/Top10Spn.pdf
¡Asegure a sus hijos ahora! - Para familias de bajos recursos existe ayuda del gobierno para asegurar la buena salud de sus hijos. Esta página de web presenta información sobre los programas de seguro médico juvenil del los estados (State Children's Health Insurance Program o SCHIP en inglés). Aquí se encuentra información sobre programas en cada estado de los EE.UU.
http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/espanol/index.htm
Los cambios de condición laboral requieren hacer elecciones médicas: Proteja sus derechos - Este folleto menciona algunos de los cambios de condición laboral donde necesitará saber hacer elecciones. Cambios como perdida de trabajo, tener un nuevo empleo, jubilación ext.
http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/WorkSpn.pdf
Medicare y usted: 2008 - Esta publicación provee información actual en español sobre Medicare incluyendo elegibilidad, preguntas más frecuentes, planes de salud y primas de Medicare. Provee enlaces a sitios para encontrar información en más detalle.
http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/10050_S.pdf
Preguntas frecuentes acerca de cómo hablar con su proveedor de atención médica sobre las enfermedades cardíacas y la salud del corazón - Esta hoja de datos presenta información acerca de por qué debería preocuparse por hablar con su proveedor de atención médica acerca de las enfermedades cardíacas, cuál es la mejor forma de hablarle y qué tipos de preguntas puede hacerle a su proveedor de atención médica acerca de la salud de su corazón.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/espanol/preguntas/hcpheartdis.htm
Selección del médico - Esta hoja tiene todo lo que usted necesita saber antes de buscar un médico. Encontrará sugerencias de cómo elegir un médico apropiado para usted hasta información acerca de su primera visita con el médico.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/6C398695-8669-4ACC-B88C-398B59E84A36/5962/Se...
Una guía para el empleado sobre los beneficios de salud bajo COBRA - Este libreto tiene información acerca de la continuación de cobertura de seguro de salud cuando eventos como el fallecimiento de un empleado, cancelación o reducción de las horas de trabajo de un empleado cubierto por razones que no incluyan un acto grave de mala conducta, divorcio o separación legal de un empleado cubierto. COBRA es la ley que exige a la mayoría de los planes de salud grupales a que provean una continuación temporal de cobertura de salud grupal que de otra manera podría cancelarse.
http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/COBRAEmployeeSp.pdf
Consejos para hablar con su médico (Copyright © AAFP) - Tomar un papel activo en su atención médica le puede ayudar a obtener la mejor atención posible por parte de su médico. Una forma de hacer esto es mejorando la relación con su médico. Los siguientes son algunos consejos para ayudarle tanto a usted como a su médico a que juntos mejoren su atención médica.
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/pat-advocacy/healthcare/837.html
Organizaciones
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Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, OPHS, HHS en español
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Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades, HHS
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Medicare.gov en español, CMS, HHS
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Seguro Social
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Partnership for Prescription Assistance en español
= Recurso Federal
Current as of December 2007
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