Accessing the Association Between Immigration Status and Annual Health Care Expenditures in the United States: An IPUMS-MEPS Analysis

Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to explore the association between immigration status and Annual Health Care Expenditures (AHCE), investigating the moderating roles of age, annual household income, and participation in social welfare programs (e.g., SNAP) on this relationship. Additionally, we examined whether immigrants and low-income individuals were more likely to receive SNAP benefits. Methods: We utilized data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Study (MEPS) through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), comprising 225,140 respondents from 2011 to 2021. Pearson correlation coefficients measured the strength and direction of linear relationships and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression estimated differences in AHCE between U.S.-born citizens and immigrants. Results: The findings indicated that immigrants and low-income individuals had lower AHCE (F (1, 225,138) = 563.40, R2 = 0.002, p < 0.001). Age and years of education completed (YEC) moderated the relationship between immigration status and AHCE. SNAP participation was associated with immigration status, low annual income, and increased AHCE. Discussion: Our research illustrated the impact of immigration status on annual health care expenditures. We also discussed limitations and suggested future directions for our study.