Racial and ethnic discrimination remains a persistent feature of health care in the United States, according to a new Commonwealth Fund survey of health workers. Nearly 40% of U.S. physicians reported that patients of color often receive care that is inferior to what white patients receive—a higher share than in Canada or the United Kingdom.
Health workers described clear patterns of inequity. Patients of color are less likely to receive pain medication in emergency rooms and more likely to endure longer wait times. Black and Latino providers in particular said racism directly affects the quality of care their patients receive. In fast-moving ER settings, where medical decisions must be made quickly, 38% of U.S. health workers said they witnessed care disparities driven by racial or ethnic bias.
Language differences compound the problem. Non-English-speaking patients in the U.S., U.K., and Canada were often treated differently, with clinicians acknowledging that language and race frequently overlap as sources of discrimination. For many immigrant communities, this leads to missed diagnoses, delayed treatment, and worsening chronic disease.
The consequences in the U.S. are especially severe because of gaps in insurance. Unlike the U.K. and Canada, which guarantee universal coverage, people of color in the U.S. are more likely to lack comprehensive insurance. This forces many into ERs, where inequities are most visible and damaging. Experts call for reforms that diversify the workforce, embed anti-discrimination training into medical education, and expand equitable access to care.
See: “Health Care Workers in Canada, the U.K., and the U.S. Report Racial and Ethnic Discrimination in the Health Care System” (January 27, 2025)
