Study: Racial disparities exist in every state in U.S.

Racial and ethnic health inequities are pervasive in every state in the U.S., according to a new analysis that found some of the widest disparities occur within states known for having high performing health care systems (Source: “States Have Large Racial Disparities in Health Care Equity, Study Finds,” U.S. News, Nov. 18).

A new report from the Commonwealth Fund assessed the performance of the health system in all 50 states and the District of Columbia on health care access, quality of care and health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority residents.

The report evaluated state health system performance for Black, white and American Indian/Alaskan Native residents, as well as for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Latino populations.

Only six states had health systems that scored above the national average for all racial and ethnic groups studied – Oregon, Rhode Island,  Hawaii, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. Yet large disparities were also found in those states, where health system performance for white residents was scored the best of any group except in Massachusetts, where it was slightly higher among Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents.

The overall health of Black Ohioans ranked 22nd out of 38, Latino Ohioans ranked 16th out of 42, Asian Ohioans ranked 19th out of 23 and white Ohioans ranked 34th out of 51 states and D.C.