What employers can do to tackle racial and ethnic disparities in health care

Disparities in health outcomes impose an unacceptable cost on families, our economy, and the character of our nation.

In my previous article on the topic of employers’ concerns over racial and ethnic disparities in health care outcomes, I explored the well-documented fact that in America, people of color suffer and die from treatable illnesses more often than the rest of the population. These disparities persist because of systemic and structural inequities in our health care system that impact the health, well-being, and daily lives of Black, Asian, Latinx, and Native Americans.

Motivated by both the moral imperative and high cost of health disparities, U.S. employers increasingly are taking action to close the gaps. At the Health Transformation Alliance (HTA), a cooperative of nearly 60 employers representing more than 4 million lives and $27 billion in annual health care spending, we are making a difference by leveraging the power of data and collective action. Here are three ways our member-owner companies are improving health outcomes for employees and their families who are people of color: