Inequalities in access to healthcare by local policy model among newly arrived refugees: evidence from population-based studies in two German states.

BACKGROUND: Access to healthcare is restricted for newly arriving asylum seekers and refugees (ASR) in many receiving countries, which may lead to inequalities in health. In Germany, regular access and full entitlement to healthcare (equivalent to statutory health insurance, SHI) is only granted after a waiting time of 18 months. During this time of restricted entitlements, local authorities implement different access models to regulate asylum seekers' access to healthcare: the electronic health card (EHC) or the healthcare voucher (HV). This paper examines inequalities in access to healthcare by comparing healthcare utilization by ASR under the terms of different local models (i.e., regular access equivalent to SHI, EHC, and HV). METHODS: We used data from three population-based, cross-sectional surveys among newly arrived ASR (N=863) and analyzed six outcome measures: specialist and general practitioner (GP) utilization, unmet needs for specialist and GP services, emergency department use and avoidable hospitalization. Using logistic regression, we calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals for all outcome measures, while considering need by adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and health-related covariates. RESULTS: Compared to ASR with regular access, ASR under the HV model showed lower needs-adjusted odds of specialist utilization (OR=0.41 [0.24-0.66]) while ASR under the EHC model did not differ from ASR with regular access in any of the outcomes. The comparison between EHC and HV model showed higher odds for specialist utilization under the EHC model as compared to the HV model (OR=2.39 [1.03-5.52]). GP and emergency department utilization, unmet needs and avoidable hospitalization did not show significant differences in any of the fully adjusted models. CONCLUSION: ASR using the HV are disadvantaged in their access to healthcare compared to ASR having either an EHC or regular access. Given equal need, they use specialist services less. The identified inequalities constitute inequities in access to healthcare that could be reduced by policy change from HV to the EHC model during the initial 18 months waiting time, or by granting ASR regular healthcare access upon arrival. Potential patterns of differences in GP utilization, unmet needs, emergency department use and avoidable hospitalization between the models deserve further exploration in future studies.

Differences in realized access to healthcare among newly arrived refugees in Germany: results from a natural quasi-experiment.

BACKGROUND: Germany has a statutory health insurance (SHI) that covers nearly the entire population and most of the health services provided. Newly arrived refugees whose asylum claim is still being processed are initially excluded from the SHI. Instead, their entitlements are restricted and parallel access models have been implemented. We assessed differences in realized access of healthcare services between these access models. METHODS: In Germany's largest federal state, North Rhine-Westphalia, two different access models have been implemented in the 396 municipalities: the healthcare voucher (HcV) model and the electronic health card (eHC) model. As refugees are quasi-randomly assigned to municipalities, we were able to realize a natural quasi-experiment including all newly assigned refugees from six municipalities (three for each model) in 2016 and 2017. Using claims data, we compared the standardized incidence rates (SIR) of specialist services use, emergency services use, and hospitalization due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) between both models. We indirectly standardized utilization patterns first for age and then for the sex. RESULTS: SIRs of emergency use were higher in municipalities with HcV (ranging from 1.41 to 2.63) compared to emergency rates in municipalities with eHC (ranging from 1.40 to 1.71) and differed significantly from the expected rates derived from official health reporting. SIRs of emergency and specialist use in municipalities with eHC converged with the expected rates over time. There were no significant differences in standardized hospitalization rates for ACSC. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the eHC model is slightly better able to provide refugees with SHI-like access to specialist services and goes along with lower utilization of emergency services compared to the HcV model. No difference between the models was found for hospitalizations due to ACSC. Results might be slightly biased due to incompletely documented service use and due to (self-) selection on the level of municipalities with municipalities interested in facilitating access showing more interest in joining the project.

[Access to Health Care After the Introduction of the Electronic Health Card: Views of Refugee Patients]. / Der Zugang zu gesundheitlicher Versorgung nach Einführung der elektronischen Gesundheitskarte: die Sicht geflüchteter Patient(inn)en.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Access to healthcare for newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers is organised differently in the municipalities throughout Germany, both with regard to the organisation of support services and the choice of an access model (electronic health card/eHC or healthcare voucher/HcV). Some German states and municipalities have introduced the eHC model in the last years. Using the example of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW), Germany's largest state, we analyse how access to healthcare is organised from the point of view of refugees and what role the healthcare model (eHC vs. HcV) plays for their access to healthcare. METHODS: In 3 municipalities in NRW (2 with HcV and one with eHC), 31 interviews were conducted with refugees at 2 points in time (duration of stay in Germany ≤ 15 and > 15 months) in order to account for the different legal entitlements to healthcare. To include different perspectives and challenges, we ensured maximum variation of the interview partners with regard to age, gender, chronic diseases, pregnancy and parenthood. The interviews were conducted with the support of interpreters. The transcripts of the interviews were evaluated using computer-assisted content analysis (atlas.ti 8). RESULTS: In municipalities with a HcV model, the approval process at the social welfare office leads to additional waiting time for (continued) treatment. The more direct access through the eHC model and the elimination of entitlement restrictions after 15 months of stay can facilitate access to care, especially for chronically ill refugees. Initial contact with the health system is usually facilitated by social workers, friends or family members. CONCLUSIONS: The eHC model can facilitate access for refugees with higher healthcare needs. Further access barriers, such as the limited availability of interpreters, exist independently of the access model.

[Migration and health in Germany-available data sources]. / Migration und Gesundheit in Deutschland ­ eine Bestandsaufnahme der Datenquellen.

BACKGROUND: Migration background plays an important role in analyses of health inequalities in Germany. The heterogeneity of people with and without migration background requires a differentiated recording of migration-related characteristics. The latest overview of representative data sources from the Health Reporting (GBE) that included information on migration background was compiled in 2008. AIM: The aim of this article is to describe existing data sources reporting the health situation of people with and without a migration background. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Starting from the websites and publications of owners of GBE data, representative studies and routine data sources were identified. All sources that consider at least one migration-related characteristic were included. For all included studies, migration-related characteristics, information on the social situation, and health-related indicators were collected. RESULTS: A total of 46 data sources (including 19 routine data sources and 27 studies) were included. The most common indicators of the migration background are nationality (n = 36) and the country of birth (n = 29). Health-related indicators cover a wide range of issues. DISCUSSION: Routine data sources continue to collect little information on the migration background (usually only nationality) and thus constrain migration-differentiated analyses of the health situation. Survey data allow for more nuanced analysis. However, the actual analysis possibilities and content knowledge of the respective data sources were not the subject of this article.

[The health of children and adolescents from families with insecure residence status compared to children with permanent residence permits: analysis of KiGGS data 2003-2006]. / Gesundheit von Kindern und Jugendlichen aus Familien mit ungesichertem Aufenthaltsstatus im Vergleich zu Kindern mit und ohne Migrationshintergrund: Auswertung der KiGGS-Daten 2003-06.

BACKGROUND: The health of children and adolescents from families with insecure residence status could be poorer compared to other children with permanent residence permits in Germany due to exposure before and during flight. Their insecure residence status and their comparably low social status in the destination country may contribute towards access barriers to health care. However, selection effects might also lead to better health compared to other children in the destination country. This study compares the health status of children and adolescents with insecure residence status to that of other children with and without migration background in Germany. METHODS: We use data from the Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). In multivariable logistic regression models we analyze the associations between children's residence status and their subjective and mental health, as well as their utilization of emergency services and vaccination status while adjusting for the children's social status and migration background. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Among 17,245 children, 197 (1.1 %) had an insecure residence status. Adjusting only for age and sex, an insecure residence status is associated with poorer subjective health (OR=3.12 (2.07-4.94)), mental problems (OR=1.83 (1.16-2.87)), an incomplete vaccination status (OR=2.0 (1.33-3.0)) and the use of emergency health services (OR=2.28 (1.2-4.36)). After adjusting also for social and migration status, only the association with the use of emergency care remains significant (OR=2.53 (1.18-5.43)). This association possibly indicates barriers to the use of regular primary care services, which requires further research.

Inequalities in health system responsiveness among asylum seekers and refugees: A population-based, cross-sectional study in Germany.

Global migration has sparked renewed interest in Universal Health Coverage in high-income countries. However, quality of care has received little attention. This study uses the concept of responsiveness to study quality of care for asylum seekers and refugees (ASR) in Germany and identify inequalities among this group. We report results from a population-based, cross-sectional health monitoring survey in Germany's third-largest federal state using random sampling methods. Established instruments were used to measure responsiveness, health status and socio-demographic factors. Data were weighted and adjusted logistic regression models applied to identify inequalities related to health status, structural and socio-demographic factors. N = 344 survey participants were included in the analysis (response rate 39.2%). Combined responsiveness was 77% (95%CI: 68%; 83%) but varied between domains. Responsiveness was poor for individuals with symptoms of anxiety (OR 0.35, 95%CI 0.13,0.99), longstanding illness (OR:0.42, 95%CI:0.17,1.06) and diminished health-related quality of life (OR:0.24, 95%CI:0.06,0.95). Individuals from Southern Asia (OR: 0.24, 95%CI: 0.07,0.86) and young participants (OR:0.31, 95%CI:0.12,0.82) also reported less responsive care. Unique patterns of explanatory factors were identified within each responsiveness domain. We found important differences in responsiveness related to health, socio-demographic and structural factors, both in combined responsiveness and in individual domains. Inequalities related to health status factors are particularly concerning given the potential implications for equity of access. Future research should explore responsiveness for different sectors, include individuals who have not utilised healthcare and allow for the adjustment of differential expectations of care between population groups.

Shaping access to health care for refugees on the local level in Germany - Mixed-methods analysis of official statistics and perspectives of gatekeepers.

BACKGROUND: Analyses of refugee reception in European countries are increasingly focusing on the local level. We analyzed how gatekeepers can shape access to health care on a local level, taking as an example the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany, where municipalities have implemented different local access models for newly arrived refugees. METHODS: We assessed the details of and the rationale for the implementation of local access models (implementation analysis), and the potential access to health care for refugees in municipalities (local policy analysis). We covered three municipalities with a health care voucher model and three with an electronic health card model. We combined data from official reports and semi-structured interviews (N = 21) with gatekeepers. RESULTS: Larger municipalities are more likely to implement the eHC. Gatekeepers report that costs, workload and control are the major aspects underlying the choice of a model in municipalities. Access plays only a minor role - even though some of the gatekeepers claim that the eHC can facilitate access. Regardless of the implemented model, gatekeepers on the local level can contribute to facilitating the access to health care for refugees. CONCLUSION: Potential access of newly arrived refugees is - among others - determined by the gatekeepers' support and the implementation of the access models. Within the legal framework, municipalities implement the models differently.

Inequalities in realised access to healthcare among recently arrived refugees depending on local access model: study protocol for a quasi-experimental study.

INTRODUCTION: In many countries, including Germany, newly arriving refugees face specific entitlement restrictions and access barriers to healthcare. While entitlement restrictions apply to all refugees who seek protection in Germany during the first months, the barriers to access depend on the model that the states and the municipalities implement locally. Currently, two different models exist: the healthcare voucher model (HcV) and the electronic health card model (eHC). The aim of the study is to analyse the consequences of these two different access models on newly arrived refugees' realised access to healthcare. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The random assignment of refugees to municipalities allows for a quasi-experimental design by comparing realised access to healthcare among refugees in six municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia which have implemented HcV or eHC. We compare realised access to healthcare using ambulatory care sensitive conditions and health expenditure as outcome indicators, and use of emergency care, preventive care, psychotherapeutic or psychiatric care, and of therapeutic devices as process indicators. Results will be adjusted for aggregated information on age, sex, socioeconomic structure of the municipalities and density of general practitioners or specialists. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: We cooperated with local welfare offices and the statutory health insurance for data collection. Thereby, we were able to avoid recruiting large numbers of refugee patients immediately after arrival while their access and entitlement to healthcare are restricted. We developed an extensive data protection concept and ensured that all data collected are fully anonymised. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and summarised in reports to the funding agency.

How the Spectre of Societal Homogeneity Undermines Equitable Healthcare for Refugees Comment on "Defining and Acting on Global Health: The Case of Japan and the Refugee Crisis".

Recourse to a purported ideal of societal homogeneity has become common in the context of the refugee reception crisis - not only in Japan, as Leppold et al report, but also throughout Europe. Calls for societal homogeneity in Europe originate from populist movements as well as from some governments. Often, they go along with reduced social support for refugees and asylum seekers, for example in healthcare provision. The fundamental right to health is then reduced to a citizens' right, granted fully only to nationals. Germany, in spite of welcoming many refugees in 2015, is a case in point: entitlement and access to healthcare for asylum seekers are restricted during the first 15 months of their stay. We show that arguments brought forward to defend such restrictions do not hold, particularly not those which relate to maintaining societal homogeneity. European societies are not homogeneous, irrespective of migration. But as migration will continue, societies need to invest in what we call "globalization within." Removing entitlement restrictions and access barriers to healthcare for refugees and asylum seekers is one important element thereof.

Social and health epidemiology of immigrants in Germany: past, present and future.

Germany has experienced different forms of immigration for many decades. At the end of and after the Second World War, refugees, displaced persons and German resettlers constituted the largest immigrant group. In the 1950s, labor migration started, followed by family reunification. There has been a constant migration of refugees and asylum seekers reaching peaks in the early 1990s as well as today. Epidemiological research has increasingly considered the health, and the access to health care, of immigrants and people with migration background. In this narrative review we discuss the current knowledge on health of immigrants in Germany. The paper is based on a selective literature research with a focus on studies using representative data from the health reporting system. Our review shows that immigrants in Germany do not suffer from different diseases than non-immigrants, but they differ in their risk for certain diseases, in the resources to cope with theses risk and regarding access to treatment. We also identified the need for differentiation within the immigrant population, considering among others social and legal status, country of origin and duration of stay. Though most of the studies acknowledge the need for differentiation, the lack of data currently rules out analyses accounting for the existing diversity and thus a full understanding of health inequalities related to migration to Germany.