Commonwealth Fund report: ‘Health equity does not exist in any state in the U.S.’

A new analysis of health inequities in the United States shows that every state has deep racial and ethnic disparities in the performance of their health care systems (Source: “Health disparities and premature deaths run deep, even in best-performing states,” STAT News, April 18).

The report released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund analyzed 25 indicators that track health outcomes, health care access, and quality of care provided for five racial and ethnic groups. It found dramatic disparities for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous Americans, even in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and New York — the states considered to have the best overall healthcare performance. In all states, white and Asian residents had the best health outcomes.

“Health equity does not exist in any state in the U.S.,” said David Radley, a co-author of the report and senior scientist at the Commonwealth Fund.

The data came from 2021 and 2022 and therefore included deaths from Covid-19, which struck Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous populations at higher rates. The premature death rate was higher for Black populations in nearly every state.