Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare utilization and outcomes among United States immigrants

The United States has the world’s largest immigrant population. Studies before COVID-19 found that immigrants in the U.S. faced greater barriers to healthcare access than U.S.-born citizens. The pandemic may have intensified these challenges, though most research has focused on large immigrant groups, specific regions, or anecdotal accounts rather than on empirical data across all immigrant populations. This study addresses this gap by examining whether the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected healthcare utilization and outcomes among immigrants compared with U.S.-born citizens. We analyzed secondary data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2018 to 2021). Binary logistic regressions were used to address the study’s research questions. Immigrant status was associated with lower odds of healthcare use than among U.S.-born individuals. However, immigrants reported better health status. During the pandemic, overall emergency visits, hospital discharges, and self-reported health status declined among all U.S. residents. The pandemic’s effect on healthcare utilization and outcomes was consistent across the study population. Age, sex, marital status, insurance, family income, and chronic conditions significantly influence healthcare use and outcomes. The pandemic did not disproportionately affect immigrants’ healthcare utilization and outcomes in the short term. Future research should explore potential disparities emerging in the post-pandemic period to inform policy solutions addressing immigrants’ healthcare access barriers.