UCLA

This thesis considers the possibility of expanding the Salvadoran Social Security Institute (ISSS) to permit enrollment of migrant families. The current ISSS administration is interested in allowing migrants to pay into the social security system to obtain health care benefits for themselves and their family members. No study has ever measured interest in such services among migrants in the U.S. After reviewing existing transnational insurance initiatives and exploring health care access and remittance-sending tendencies among migrants in the U.S., I conducted original research to measure the willingness of 100 Salvadoran migrants to pay into ISSS. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) said they were willing to pay at least $30 per month for ISSS coverage. Amount of money remitted and self-rated health were the strongest predictors of willingness to pay. The results of this research were submitted to the ISSS administration in a separate report.