Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance focus on Health Care Reform Struggle

MIRA members discuss health care reform at monthly meeting in Jackson

Members of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance say the real threat to a healthy society are the barriers to affordable healthcare. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports.

Current health reform proposals mandate a five year waiting period before immigrants can buy affordable health insurance. Bill chandelier, Director of the Mississippi immigrants Rights Alliance in Mississippi says that practice benefits no one.

“There was a time when African American’s were denied access to health care here in Mississippi. and the white folks here wondered why they were getting diseases. And when they started including African American’s in health care we’re able to reduce a lot of the diseases that floated around in Mississippi in those days. The same thing applies now you know if an immigrant’s sick there’s a possibility of somebody else that may have health care coverage getting sick.”

Socorro Leos of Jackson says she has family and friends who have received minimal care.

“They will just treat you a little bit so that they, you don’t complain or you don’t say these guys are very bad they didn’t wanna treat me. And then they’ll send you to another place and it’s like a pinball because we wanna get rid of you.”

“I sincerely hope we have some kind of health care reform.”

That's Craig Thompson, STD Director with the Mississippi Department of Health. He says without access to health care people will continue to bombard emergency rooms regardless of the illness.

“When in fact if they can approach their personal health from a concept of screening and wellness they’d be much better off. And ultimately we’d be much better off and ultimately we'd end up saving a lot of money."

Experts say other barriers in getting health care to Mississippi's Immigrants community include lack of education, racism and lack of trust. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.