International Journal of Health Sciences

Stigmatization and discrimination perceptions among the uninsured: “They treat you different. It’s a different type care…”
Sarah F. Griffin, PhD; Rachel M. Mayo, M.A., PhD; Anne P. Pribonic, B.S.

Abstract
Previous research documents the existence of perceived insurance-based discrimination and begins to describe how this discrimination influences health behavior. This research focuses on describing the context surrounding uninsured individuals’ perceptions of stigmatizations and discrimination through interactions with health care providers and health systems. Six focus groups were conducted by trained moderators with fifty-two adult participants. Participants represented the chronically uninsured (without health insurance for three or more years). A narrative analysis approach was used to code and examine focus group transcripts in NVivo 10.1.0 software. Findings illustrate how the quality, context and characteristics of patient and provider interactions contributed to participants’ sense of stigmatizations and discrimination. Participants described clear examples of perceiving they were being ignored or made to wait longer than others to be seen or were rushed through their appointments because of health insurance status. They described ways in which they felt they were identified differently than other patients with health insurance and how these interactions contribute to a sense of disempowerment, stress, and a loss of control.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijhs.v3n4a4