Health and health care for legalized aliens

Under provisions of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, almost two million illegal aliens applied for legalization in the United States between May 1, 1987 and May 1, 1988. Over 1300 applicants for legalization were interviewed in Maryland during 1988. A relatively young group, respondents rated their health as positive and their responses to a symptom checklist supported this assessment. Over half of the respondents had no health insurance, and presence or absence of health insurance was strongly related to occupational classification. The survey indicated a need for primary prevention programs, attention to cultural norms of the applicants, and the need of applicants to obtain jobs that offer health insurance.