Robert Krol

Americans are growing older. There are 58 million people over the age of 65. This represents about 17 percent of the U.S. population. By 2040, there will be 78 million, or 22 percent of the population, above 65. Older Americans make greater use of the healthcare system. These changes will reduce access to and the quality of the system.

President Trump’s plans to limit immigration and deport immigrants will constrain the system, further reducing healthcare for everyone, especially older adults. It will also discourage much-needed skilled and semi-skilled individuals living outside the country from coming to the United States.

However, there is hope. The administration has had a healthy debate about the role of skilled immigrants. The discussion should not stop there. Highly skilled immigrants like doctors and nurses, and less-skilled immigrants that provide basic services such as home care are valuable contributors to the health and well-being of all Americans.

As we age, our demand for healthcare grows. We end up having more doctor and hospital visits, expanding the demand for all healthcare workers. Many of these workers are immigrants. Almost 3 million immigrants make up 18 percent of the healthcare workforce. This includes doctors, nurses, administrators and maintenance workers. In addition, many of these workers are also aging and will retire over the next 10 to 20 years. People with healthcare skills will be needed as we move forward.

Immigrants play an essential role in home care. As we age, some elderly individuals can no longer care for themselves at home. At some point, they will need at-home help or move to an institutional environment. Most elderly would prefer to stay at home.

This is where less-skilled immigrants, some of whom are undocumented, play a critical role. More than 230,000 undocumented immigrants are working as healthcare workers, primarily personal care and home health aides. Deportation of these individuals or their family members would represent a significant negative shock to elderly home healthcare. The presence of immigrants lowers the cost and expands home healthcare. It also allows other family members to remain employed, knowing their elderly family members are being taken care of at home.

Research has shown that a 10 percent increase in less-skilled immigrants in an area reduces the chances of an individual 65 years or older being in a less preferred living arrangement by 1.5 percentage points. For individuals over 80, it reduces their chances by almost 4 percentage points.

An aging society places pressure on the healthcare system’s ability to provide timely, quality service to its patients. Immigrants play an essential role in caring for people with health issues in hospitals, offices, and at home. As the demand for healthcare grows, immigrants with different skill levels can play an essential role.

The Trump administration’s plans to limit immigration and expand the deportation of undocumented immigrants will weaken the healthcare system in this country. It will worsen healthcare outcomes. The administration must recognize these facts and allow more individuals with the skills and a desire to work in healthcare to enter the United States.

Robert Krol is an emeritus professor of economics at California State University, Northridge. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.