Health care disparities

Racial, Ethnic Health Care Disparities Remain Widespread

Racial and ethnic health disparities are pervasive across all states, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund. According to “The Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report,” Racial and ethnic disparities are pervasive across all states. Death rates and prevalence of health problems vary significantly by race and ethnicity in every state. Racial and ethnic health disparities are perpetuated by less insurance coverage and unequal access to high-quality care. Lack of comprehensive insurance coverage is a key contributor to disparities in access. Being uninsured or underinsured has consequences. Racial and ethnic disparities in care quality are driven by [...]

joe2024-04-18T20:47:43+00:00April 23, 2024|health equity|

AHRQ Publishes Health Equity Report

The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has published its annual report on health care disparities. The report, “National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report,” is mandated by Congress “… to provide a comprehensive overview of the quality of healthcare received by the general U.S. population and disparities in care experienced by different racial and socioeconomic groups.” Find the report here.

admin2022-01-19T06:00:38+00:00January 19, 2022|health equity|

Health Policy Update for Monday, April 12

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 12. The White House COVID-19 The White House has posted a transcript of the April 12 press briefing provided by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials. Health Policy and Budget News The Biden administration has released its proposed FY 2022 discretionary budget, which addresses, among other things, many aspects of health care policy. Find the news release announcing the proposed budget here and the budget document itself here. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services COVID-19 CMS has updated its [...]

admin2021-04-12T17:29:32+00:00April 12, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19, MACPAC|

ACA Has Reduced Insurance Disparities

The Affordable Care Act is responsible for a major reduction in the disparity of insurance status among racial and ethnic minorities. According to a new Commonwealth Fund analysis, All U.S. racial and ethnic groups saw comparable, proportionate declines in uninsured rates… However, because uninsured rates started off much higher among Hispanic and black non-Hispanic adults than among white non-Hispanic adults, the coverage gap between blacks and whites declined from 11.0 percentage points in 2013 to 5.3 percentage points in 2017. Likewise, the coverage gap between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites dropped from 25.4 points to 16.6 points. Learn more about specific [...]

admin2019-08-23T11:40:37+00:00August 23, 2019|Affordable Care Act, Medicaid|

ACA’s Medicaid Pay Bump Helped But Benefits Now Lost, Study Says

Health status and access to care improved for Medicaid patients when the Affordable Care Act mandated a temporary rate increase for physicians serving newly insured patients covered through that law’s Medicaid expansion. But when the mandate for increased physician payments ended and state Medicaid programs reverted to their previous, lower payments, many of those benefits were lost. Or so reports a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research. According to the study, even a $10 rate increase improved access to care enough to reduce by 13 percent Medicaid recipients’ complaints about not being about to find a doctor. [...]

admin2019-07-24T06:00:47+00:00July 24, 2019|Affordable Care Act, Medicaid|