The experiences of Josseline Morales’s family, who are originally from Guatemala, but now live in Hempstead, New York, illustrate some of these challenges.
When Josseline’s mom informed her that her 10-year-old brother had been diagnosed with asthma, she was surprised. Even more shocking was that he’d been diagnosed seven months earlier, and Josseline’s mom had no idea.
When her mother told the doctor this was her first time hearing that her son has asthma, Josseline said the doctor bluntly told her mom, “This is why I don’t trust you people.”
According to the doctor, Josseline’s brother’s records showed a history of asthma and a prescription to manage it. But Josseline’s mom, who relied on a receptionist to translate information about her son’s diagnosis, was told that her son had a fever, and the prescribed inhaler was just temporary, until his breathing improved. (Note: One doctor consulted for this article says that such an incident should not have happened since healthcare providers in New York have access to interpreter services over the phone.)
While going to the doctor can be an intimidating experience for anyone, not being a native English speaker — or living in a culture that’s different from where you grew up — can make it even scarier. Here are some things to consider when seeking healthcare for yourself or a loved one.
Make an Appointment: It’s Vital to Your Health
Latinos in particular may delay or skip seeing a doctor for a number of reasons, according to Diana E. Ramos, MD, the California Surgeon General and the first Latina to hold that position. One factor is that they may not receive educational messages — often delivered through English-language media — about the importance of prevention and screening for conditions like diabetes and cancer.
“Delaying the diagnosis, delaying the early care, really makes it so that Latinos oftentimes are diagnosed in a more advanced stage of disease,” says Dr. Ramos. “And when it’s more advanced, it’s harder to treat, it’s harder to get into remission.”
Sometimes, a serious condition is diagnosed after a patient seeks care for an unrelated issue.
“We find people who’ve had diabetes for years, and they only find out when they come in for something else, like a respiratory infection,” says Jacqueline Beyer, RN, a family nurse practitioner at the Clinica Medica Hispana in Houston. “It’s not until we do blood work that we find their sugar levels are through the roof.”
One factor in delaying care, according to Ramos, may be cultural — a type of fatalism linked to religious beliefs. “Many times it’s the belief that, well, if God wants me to die, I’m going to die,” she says. “You know, I’m not going to go get that Pap smear, I’m not going to get that mammogram or prostate test.”
But this kind of fatalism, Ramos says, is really a form of denial — after all, health outcomes aren’t necessarily preordained, and they may be related to whether you get treatment early in the course of a disease.
You Can Get Health Services With or Without Health Insurance
A significant barrier to healthcare is the price tag. Beyer says most of her patients work multiple jobs, many of which are not full-time. They may be working three part-time jobs, for example, and sending part of their earnings back to their home country to support their family. So paying hundreds of dollars for health insurance each month isn’t realistic when they’re already stretched financially.
Before you make a doctor’s appointment, office managers and staff should be able to tell you whether the doctor accepts your insurance, and if there will be any copays.
