Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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THURSDAY, April 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A new report finds persistent racial and ethnic disparities in health care across the United States, even in states considered the most progressive. It became clear.
California, for example, received a score of 45 for the care its health system provides to Hispanic Americans. The Commonwealth Fund report gives each state a score from 0 to 100 for each population group that lives there.
That's better than Florida's health care system, which received a 37-point rating for its care for Hispanic Americans.
But it's far worse than the treatment of white patients in California, which scored an 87.
The report “provides a comprehensive analysis of how the health care system is working for people in each state and assesses racial and ethnic health and care disparities within and between states.” say the report's authors.
Researchers used 25 measures to evaluate states on health care access, quality, service utilization, and health outcomes for different races and ethnicities.
They found that disparities exist even in states known for having strong health care systems.
For example, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Connecticut stand out as having relatively high performance in treating all patients, but these states still have poor health outcomes among white and nonwhite residents. The researchers found that there are significant disparities in
Nationally, premature deaths from preventable and treatable causes occur at higher rates among Blacks and American Indians overall than other groups, the report says.
Additionally, in the Southwest and some of the Mountain States, premature death rates for Hispanics are higher than in other regions of the United States, and premature death rates for Hispanics more closely match those of white residents. These states include New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming.
However, several states in the South and Central South, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri, have higher preventable death rates for both blacks and whites.
The report's authors suggest pursuing four broad policy goals to build an equitable health system.
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Ensure everyone has access to affordable, comprehensive and equitable health coverage
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improve primary care
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Reduce paperwork for patients and providers
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investment in social services
“Because disparities and health inequities vary by state, there is also an opportunity for state programs to tailor interventions to address the unique needs of their communities,” the researchers added.
Advancing Racial Equity in U.S. Health Care: The Commonwealth Fund's 2024 State Health Care Disparities Report Available online.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on racism and health.
Source: Commonwealth Fund, News Release, April 18, 2024
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