What’s Our Role in Migrant Workers’ Health?: National Health Center Week

Patients at Health Services of North Texas come from all different walks of life. Some have grown up in North Texas their whole lives. Others choose to make us their medical home after moving into Texas. An often-overlooked part of these patients are migrant workers, people who move to another country seeking employment. 

This National Health Center Week, we want to put a spotlight on migrant workers’ health. As health centers, we have a duty to go the extra mile for their health. According to the Migration Policy Institute, immigrants make up 22% of Texas’ labor force with 3.2 million laborers. However, many immigrants remain ineligible for insurance coverage options when it comes to healthcare.

The Barriers to Health

Migrant workers play a key role in the agriculture, construction, and factory industries. Many work in hazardous work environments and take home little pay. This contributes to issues like poor housing, limited nutrition, and a lack of insurance. Language barriers and lack of employer assistance can stop migrant workers from accessing federally funded coverage options like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), especially in Texas.

Due to this lack of access to healthcare, many migrant workers see a decline in their health. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly one in three immigrant households with an income lower than $40,000 are more likely to report worse health and chronic health conditions than their wealthier peers. 

The most common health problems that arise are: 

• Diabetes  
• STIs  
• Untreated Injuries

Putting Health First

With so many roadblocks to putting health first, what can we do to improve migrant workers’ health? 

Referring uninsured migrant farmworkers to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) is key to improving their health. FQHCs focus on helping underserved populations connect to healthcare through comprehensive services at an affordable price. FQHCs offer sliding-fee scales based on the patient’s income and household size, allowing them to better afford healthcare services.

FQHCs can help migrant workers begin enrollment in their state’s Medicaid programs and CHIP. If migrant workers are ineligible for coverage by Medicaid and CHIP, FQHCs can still provide healthcare services, regardless of patients’ ability to pay, through a sliding-fee scale or other payment system. 

What Can Health Centers Do?

Health centers, especially FQHCs, are the number one resource helping migrant workers live healthier lives. As we support our migrant worker communities, health centers should always keep equity and quality in mind. Here are guidelines every health center team might should consider to improve their care for migrant workers:   

• Use culturally sensitive health education: Patients will resonate more with health education that reflects their household culture. A typical diabetes nutritional guide may not have all the dishes one might see in a Hispanic or African household. Adjusting your health education to reflect the populations you serve will help them to better understand their treatment plans.  
• Offer translation services in your office: Language is often the most important barrier when migrant workers enter a health center. Hiring bilingual staff that can speak your patients’ native languages helps ease tension and smooths out the visit.  
• Start collaborations with migrant-serving agencies: Collaborating with public health agencies, equity-focused nonprofits and other FQHCs can help serve overlooked populations. Referrals become key to helping people find care they may not know exists.  
• Conduct outreach in rural areas of service: Sending out staff to conduct health education, vaccine clinics or attend community events where they can connect migrant workers is often the best approach to having them learn about your health center. This is especially true for rural areas of service, where advertising opportunities are rare to come by.  
• Focus on easy-to-read information about your services: When creating brochures, handouts or online advertisements for your health center’s services, keep the reading level low. Since many migrant workers have English as their second language, it’s a best practice to make sure your content is easy to understand for their convenience. 

As an FQHC, Health Services of North Texas prioritizes the health of everyone who walks through its doors. No matter if you’re from North Texas or another country, we will work with you to receive quality care at an affordable price.