The new report takes a state-by-state look at disparities in health and health care across racial and ethnic groups in the United States.
There are “deep-seated” racial and ethnic disparities persisting in the health care system, according to the Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report.
For the report, the Commonwealth Fund collected data for 25 indicators of health system performance, including health outcomes, access to health care, and quality and use of health care services for five racial and ethnic populations: Black, white, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN), and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI).
“This report lays bare the persistent disparities people of color experience in accessing and receiving quality care across the U.S. We must do better—and we can start by rooting out pervasive racial and ethnic bias and inequities in our health care system to ensure everyone gets the care and coverage they need,” said Laurie Zephyrin, M.D., senior vice president, advancing health equity, Commonwealth Fund, in a statement.
The report stands as an undeniable reminder that extensive racial and ethnic inequities in health care remain across the country.
Key findings include:
Considerable disparities were identified even in historically high-performing states.
- Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, all of which have previously been highly ranked in Commonwealth Fund state rankings, were found to have significant disparities between white and nonwhite residents in access to care, quality of care, and health outcomes.
Premature deaths from avoidable causes vary across states and occur at a higher rate among AIAN and Black individuals compared to other racial and ethnic groups. In addition,
- Preventable death rates are higher for both Black and white residents in several southern and south-central states: Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri.
- Premature deaths among Hispanic individuals were higher in several southwestern and mountain states (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming) compared to the low rates the population had in other areas of the country.
Less insurance coverage is a leading contributor to existing disparities.
- State uninsured rates are higher among Black, Hispanic, and AIAN individuals, and, therefore, report delays in their care or financial distress.
There is unequal access and use of primary care.
- White individuals receive better quality of care compared to Black, Hispanic, AIAN, and AANHPI individuals across most states.
- Black Medicare beneficiaries are more likely than white beneficiaries to be admitted to a hospital or seek care in an emergency department for conditions that could be managed through primary care.
The Commonwealth Fund concluded the report with a push for policymakers at every level of government and leaders in the health care sector to prioritize policy changes that can bridge the gap in equitable health care.
“Advancing equity in health and health care should be a top priority of health care leaders and policymakers,” the researchers wrote. “A good start would be to identify policies that impede progress toward this goal. Leaders at the federal, state, and local levels could consider evaluating existing and emerging laws and regulations for their implications for the health of people of color. And they could pursue reforms to remedy the longstanding disparities described in this report.”