Health insurance coverage of the immigrant elderly

In this paper, I examine and contrast factors that contribute to whether individuals are covered by public health insurance (Medicare, Parts A and B, with and without Medicaid benefits) or private insurance. The study, based on data from a sample of foreign- and native-born elderly, employs descriptive analysis and a multivariate investigation involving logistic regression models. The results show that the immigrant population is less likely than native-born elderly to be covered by public insurance or to have private insurance. Medicare coverage for the immigrant elderly is strongly influenced by their length of stay in the United States, employment status, and country of origin, while their having private insurance coverage is affected by race, income, and employment status. For native-born elderly, race, income, and employment status are contributing factors to the type of insurance coverage retained. Policy implications are discussed.