Health Disparities Persist Across Racial and Ethnic Lines Throughout the Country

The most recent annual report by the Commonwealth Fund, which analyzes health disparities nationwide, found that American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic communities generally experienced worse access to, and affordability of, health care services in most states during 2023–24. The report anticipates that these disparities will only worsen due to major federal funding cuts and changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, while also highlighting the potential for artificial intelligence to help close gaps in care. Notably, the report assigns each racial and ethnic group in every state an overall health system score based on the state’s combined performance in health outcomes, access to care, quality of care, and individuals’ use of health services.