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E-Border Health
U.C Berkeley’s California Program on Access to Care (CPAC) and Health Initiative of the Americas (HIA) have jointly released “Willingness to Pay for Cross-Border Health Insurance Between the United States and México.” This study shows that Cross-border health insurance represents an opportunity to expand health coverage among the uninsured Mexican population living in the U.S. at a low cost.
Currently, California is the only state in the country that has limited cross-border insurance with Mexico. Three plans offer services between Los Angeles and San Diego and border cities of Baja California, Mexico. There is a great potential to expand this cross-border provision of health services to other states and nationally in Mexico. The CPAC/HIA study estimated the willingness among Mexican immigrants living in the U.S. to pay for cross-border health insurance.
The nine-page report is featured in Health Affairs, Volume 27, pgs. 169-178
Number 1169DOI 10.1377/hlthaff.27.1.169 ©2008 Project HOPE–The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.
The report was authored by Arturo Vargas Bustamante, Gilbert Ojeda, and Xóchitl Castañeda.
The report may be of particular interest to border health partners and others in the United States – México border region.
Abstract:
This paper estimates the demand for a binational health plan comprising preventive and ambulatory care in the United States and comprehensive care in Mexico. The results show that 62 percent of the surveyed population was interested in the product, and 57 percent were willing to pay $75–$125 a month if services in Mexico were provided in public hospitals. Only 23 percent were willing to pay $150–$250 a month for the same plan if services in Mexico were offered through private providers. The strongest predictors of willingness to pay were having insured dependents in Mexico and sending them remittances for health purposes.
To view the report, click here.
You may also access the report at http://hia.berkeley.edu/documents/crossborder_hlthinsur.pdf.
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