Through her research that was aimed at examining immigrants’ access to healthcare, Northeastern professor Tiffany Joseph came to learn about a green-card holder who is eligible for Medicaid.
Though she is a legal resident, a woman using the pseudonym Mariana was afraid that her coverage would negatively affect her application for citizenship, so she disenrolled. When she needed to get a mammogram, she chose to pay for it out of pocket by putting in extra hours at work.
Joseph, an associate professor of sociology, anthropology, and international affairs at Northeastern, says Mariana is not the only legal immigrant she knows who has taken such measures.
