Grantee: Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network
Timeframe: April 2024 – March 2025 | Amount: $30,000
Public health coverage programs impose immigration status restrictions, limiting access for many individuals. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for improved healthcare access and services, especially among immigrant communities and people of color. Immigrants and refugees, particularly those without documentation, face significant hurdles in accessing health insurance due to eligibility limitations. Consequently, they experience higher rates of being uninsured compared to documented individuals. These eligibility barriers hinder healthcare coverage acquisition and greatly impede access to essential care. Uninsured individuals are less likely to have a regular healthcare provider, receive timely and routine care, and are at a higher risk of hospitalization for preventable conditions compared to the insured population.
WAISN has partnered with several organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union – Washington (ACLU-WA), Columbia Legal Services (CLS), Legal Voice, Latinos en Spokane, Unidos Nueva Alianza, Asian Counseling and Referral Services (ACRS), and The Washington Budget and Policy Center, to advance health equity for immigrants. The Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign (HEIC), launched in September 2020, aims to enhance access to affordable healthcare coverage and services for all Washington residents, regardless of their immigration status. This initiative targets uninsured and underinsured individuals affected by immigration status restrictions, with a particular focus on undocumented immigrants and mixed-status families residing primarily in rural areas of Washington State.
Since the launch of the HEIC, WAISN has worked with community leaders and affected community members to better understand healthcare needs within the community and determine priority areas for new coverage programs and services. The Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign is dedicated to fostering knowledge, awareness, and initiatives aimed at achieving systemic change.
The campaign’s three focus areas are as follows:
- Education: Workshops and trainings are conducted to inform the community about existing healthcare access programs and services.
- Identifying Gaps: Collaborating with community leaders and affected members to pinpoint urgent gaps in care and services through focus groups and surveys. For instance, the Health Equity for Immigrants campaign, which received over 6,000 responses statewide, highlights the needs of undocumented individuals and guides advocacy efforts.
- Policy/Legislative Initiatives: Community-identified priorities are used to shape policy agendas and propose legislation. Engagement with elected officials and policymakers is facilitated to communicate these priorities effectively.
About Our Grantee
Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network
WAISN is a grassroots coalition made up of over 400 immigrant and refugee rights organizations, individuals, service providers, labor unions, and faith communities in 39 counties. WAISN serves undocumented and documented immigrants, seasonal workers, farmworkers and refugee families statewide in both rural and urban areas, with a focus to build up grassroots efforts and local leadership in rural communities, who are historically overlooked.
