Commonwealth report: Racial disparities persist in all 50 states

A new report from the Commonwealth Fund concludes that racial and ethnic health disparities persist in all 50 states, even after some gains in coverage and affordability coming out of the coronavirus pandemic (Source: “Health disparities persist across states and may widen further with federal cuts: report,” Healthcare Dive, April 29).
 
Native, Hispanic and Black communities experienced generally worse care access and affordability than white communities in most states, according to the research foundation’s report, which analyzed national health data primarily from 2023 to 2024.
 
However, the analysis doesn’t include population data after recent federal policy changes under HR 1, sometimes referred to as the “Big, Beautiful Bill Act.”
 
“These recent changes are likely to make it even harder for people to afford and access care and risk widening the very disparities this report documents,” Dr. Joseph Betancourt, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said at a Tuesday press briefing.
 
See HPIO’s 2026 Health Value Dashboard for disaggregated data on Ohio populations and spotlights on groups experiencing the greatest barriers to health.