Report: Health Disparities Challenge all 50 States

April 19, 2024

Racial and ethnic health disparities persist across the U.S.

A new report, released this week from the Commonwealth Fund, found that all 50 states have significant health disparities, even the states with the best-performing health scores. The report evaluates 25 indicators of performance, focusing on outcomes, access to health care, and quality and use of health care services.

“Advancing equity in health and health care should be a top priority of health care leaders and policymakers,” the report notes.

Here are five key takeaways:

• The trend:  Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut were among the top states when scored for all racial and ethnic groups, but even these states “have considerable disparities in access to care, the quality of care people receive, and health outcomes.”
  • “Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Mississippi, perform poorly for all groups for which we were able to calculate overall performance scores,” the report notes.
• Statewide:  Pennsylvania was in the top six for health system performance scores, but still saw disparities in its scores for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (96), white (79), Hispanic (55), and Black people (42).
• Regional note:  The southern and southcentral parts of the U.S. had higher preventable mortality rates for Black and white residents compared to other parts of the country.
• Primary care’s role:  The report highlights the critical role of primary care access to help address health issues before they become more significant or to manage chronic conditions.
• Quotable:  “When there are barriers to obtaining primary care, such as costs or a lack of providers, people are more likely to get care in more intense and costly care settings, particularly an emergency department,” the report notes.

HAP and Pennsylvania hospitals are committed to advancing health equity across the commonwealth. Pennsylvania hospitals are focused on initiatives that address disparities in care and improve the social determinants of health that promote the wellbeing of their patients.

The report from the Commonwealth Fund is available to review online.