This study reports the perceptions of Mexican-American families’ interactions with health care systems that provided care for their chronically ill or disabled children. Legal, financial, and ethical ambiguities were apparent among those who had family members who were not yet citizens or were undocumented. Because of United States laws such as welfare reform initiatives that require eligibility determiniation before providing care, and the reporting of those who are undocumented, these families frequently feared legal ramifications, and therefore failed to seek care for their children. The author asserts that current laws requiring health care providers to become part of the immigration enforcemnt mechanism raise serious questions about conflicting legal and professional responsibilites; that policy makers need to consider issues raised by the ambiguities, and that providers need to clarify their priorities.
