Determinants of migrants’ knowledge about their healthcare rights

ABSTRACT Although an increasing number of studies emphasise migrants’ knowledge about their healthcare rights as crucial for their healthcare usage, almost none examine the conditions under which migrants acquire this knowledge. This study contributes to the literature by studying the main determinants of migrants’ knowledge about their healthcare rights: Self-interest and necessity, human capital, and social capital. I use unique data collected through the project Migrants’ Welfare State Attitudes (MIFARE), where we surveyed 10 different migrant groups within Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany on their relation to the welfare state, including healthcare. Analysing a total sample of 6,864 migrants using multinomial logistic regression analyses I find that migrants’ knowledge about their healthcare rights depends mainly on their education and language skills. Both factors enable migrants to grasp health-related information and to become informed about their healthcare rights. I also observe a network effect since healthcare experiences of family members contribute to migrants’ healthcare knowledge. Social ties to the co-ethnic community, however, do not explain why some migrants know more about their healthcare rights than others. Lastly, I find large differences between migrant groups, which remain even after controlling for all relevant factors.