Description

Background: The United States is home to the largest international student population, with over 1.1 million students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities during the 2019-2020 school year. However, in order to study in the U.S. International students must meet various requirements such as maintaining valid health insurance coverage during their studies. In regard to San Diego State University, students must obtain their health insurance through a pre-approved plan known as JCB Insurance Solutions. Despite the requirement to have health insurance, many international students cannot properly access healthcare due to low health literacy, language barriers, cultural differences, financial difficulties, etc (Hyun Jang, 2021). Due to the underuse of healthcare services and lack of integration assistance by their institutions, many international students suffer the consequences and are simply less likely to access healthcare while studying in the U.S. (Adegboyega, 2020). Methods: This study was administered through a qualitative survey. and the same survey was presented to both students in English. Questions were based on collecting data regarding the participant's demographics, healthcare accessibility, healthcare attitudes, beliefs, language barriers, financial concerns, etc. Participants were asked to answer questions on the survey that apply to their own access to healthcare as a current SDSU student. Results: According to the data collected of all the 66 San Diego State University (SDSU) students who took the survey, 34 (51.5%) of the participants were domestic students and 32 (48.5%) of the participants were international students. Results showed that international students at SDSU faced more barriers in their efforts to access healthcare in the US. Conclusion: Domestic and international students who attend SDSU have difficulty accessing the US healthcare system However, international students reported higher rates of disadvantages. International students struggled more with numerous barriers. These findings are significant as they bring awareness to the fact that international students at SDSU may need additional support when it comes to accessing healthcare. This is key to ensure that the health and well-being of all students are prioritized despite their backgrounds.