A long list of unequal outcomes

The data showed that in every area of health, there are racial and ethnic inequities in outcomes. The Commonwealth report found:

State uninsured rates are generally higher and more variable for Black, Latinx/Hispanic, and AIAN adults compared to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and white adults.
White people are less likely than other population groups to face cost-related barriers to health care in most states.
In most states, Black people and AIAN people are more likely than white people to die early in life from conditions that are treatable with timely access to high-quality health care.
Black women are more likely than white women to be diagnosed with breast cancer at later stages and to die, even though breast cancer is often considered treatable when detected early.
Black Medicare beneficiaries are more likely than white beneficiaries to be admitted to a hospital or to seek care in an emergency department for conditions typically manageable through good primary care.
Black, AIAN, and Latinx/Hispanic adults are less likely than AANHPI and white adults to receive an annual flu shot.

Disparities among all states, made worse by the pandemic

One of the notable findings of the report is that even states that are generally considered high-performers in terms of overall health could see wide disparities in the rankings for some racial and ethnic groups. Minnesota, for example, ranks No. #7 in overall health care system scores for whites, but ranks 13th for overall health with Blacks and 30th in overall health for its Latinx/Hisainic population.

Instant Insights /

Study: Racial inequities pervasive in U.S. health system

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