Disparities in access to health care for immigrants in California: Assembly Bill 1045 (AB 1045).

Abstract

Background: In 2002, Assembly Bill (AB) 1045 was approved by the State of California, which allows Mexican physicians to work as providers in health clinics for low-income populations.

Objective: To compare patient satisfaction during medical consultation in terms of the performance of Mexican physicians to that of non-Mexican physicians. This was done in, three California counties' clinics over a two-year follow-up period.

Material and methods: A pseudo longitudinal study of patients of nine clinics in three counties from 2021 to 2023. Psychometric analyses of the satisfaction variables were performed, as well as bivariate and multivariate analyses with logistic regressions.

Results: The number of Hispanic patients visiting the clinics increased from seven to nine out of ten in two years. There was greater satisfaction in being attended by Mexican physicians than by non-Mexican physicians, mainly in aspects related to physician-patient communication and physical examination.

Conclusions: The logistic model reported patients seen by Mexican physicians were almost twice as likely to be satisfied as those attended by non-Mexican physicians.