Health Discussion Networks and Healthcare Access among Korean Immigrants: Implications for Social Work Practice

Ethnic social networks are crucial for sharing healthcare information and improving access, particularly for immigrants facing linguistic and cultural barriers. This study examines how ethnic social networks are associated with healthcare access among Korean immigrants in the United States, a group vulnerable to disparities in coverage and utilization. Using a community sample (N = 490), the authors analyzed the association between the size of health discussion networks, health insurance coverage, and healthcare utilization. Multiple logistic regression and negative binomial regression were applied. Results indicate that larger health insurance discussion networks are positively associated with having health coverage, while health service discussion networks were not significantly linked to utilization. These findings highlight the role of discussion networks in disseminating essential information about health insurance and their potential impact on enrollment. Implications for social work practice include leveraging community networks, training bilingual health navigators, and advancing culturally responsive outreach to reduce barriers.