In the US, many immigrants face insurmountable obstacles to obtain health insurance. Native-born Americans employed at small firms or working at low-wage, part-time jobs encounter the same problem. So, many Americans share a concern that it is immigrants that place an undue burden on the nation’s health care system. But do immigrants really erode the US health care system?

The fact shows that the lack of health insurance is a problem that affects many low-income Americans, regardless of immigration status. And it is not an issue that originates with immigration either. The majority of immigrants contribute more in taxes than they will ever receive in government services, and they use health care services less often than native-born Americans.

Early in 1997, the National Research Council has already estimated that the average immigrant pays about $1,800 more in taxes than he or she uses in government services. And a survey in 1998 shows that immigrants received about $1,139 per capita in health care, compared to $2,546 for native-born residents. Besides, immigrants also have lower expenditures for doctor’s office visits, outpatient hospital visits, inpatient hospital visits, and prescription drugs.

In other words, the immigrants contribute more than they have received from the government. Their contributions are necessary for the future economic success of the United States. Therefore, policies must be devised that improve, rather than restrict, immigrants’ access to quality health care.