A new report from the Commonwealth Fund reveals that deep seated racial and ethnic disparities persist in health care access, quality, and outcomes across the nation, with a stark racial divide in premature deaths. The data reveal that premature deaths from preventable and treatable causes vary across states and occur at a higher rate among American Indian and Black people overall compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Even in states that have historically performed well in Commonwealth Fund state rankings, racial and ethnic health disparities can be dramatic.
“The U.S. health care system is not immune from the systemic inequalities that plague all facets of American society. Decades of policy choices at the federal, state, and local levels combined with underinvestment in equity among many local health care systems has had a discriminatory impact and contributed to poorer health outcomes for people of color,” said Joseph Betancourt, M.D., Commonwealth Fund President.
See: “New State-by-State Report Reveals Persistent and Pervasive Racial and Ethnic Health Care Disparities” (April 18, 2024)
See full report: “Advancing Racial Equity in U.S. Health Care: The Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report” (April 18, 2024)
