According to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the United States has made little progress in the last twenty years in bridging the racial disparities in health equity. Racial and ethnic lines continue to be drawn in the quality and availability of care in this country, despite the United States spending the most on healthcare among developed nations. These disparities begin at birth.

Earlier this year, The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Journal posted findings from scientists at Northwestern University, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and several other institutions that found that the quality of healthcare received by racial and ethnic minorities in the United States was almost universally inferior compared to White children. This included neonatal and primary care, as well as emergency medicine and surgery.

Racial Disparities in Health Equity Have Lifelong Consequences

These trends continue through adult life. Analysis of the KFF’s 2023 Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health reveals a life expectancy for Black Americans that is nearly five years shorter (72.8 compared to 77.5 years) than their White counterparts. It also documents that Black women are nearly three times more likely to die due to pregnancy-related issues.

Overt racism and discrimination alone cannot account for the level of disparity that exists in today’s healthcare, rather, it is a systemic and cyclical lack of resources dedicated to educating, nourishing, and treating populations that need these services most. A bevy of socioeconomic factors contribute to this vast disparity in healthcare for different races and ethnicities. Provider bias certainly cannot be ignored, but there are other facets to this issue that exist beneath the surface.

By and large, these underserved communities suffer from higher uninsured rates and are, therefore, less likely to seek care when needed or enjoy accessible and affordable preventative medicine. These populations also do not enjoy the same level of access to health education and proper nutrition that more affluent communities take for granted. How can we break this cycle and ensure that all people, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity, have equal accessibility?

Read the full article about racial disparities in health equity by Bill Releford at MedCity News.