Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Health Care Coverage and Access, 2013-2019
2021
This brief from The Commonwealth Fund examines racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance coverage in the United States from 2013 to 2019. The authors draw data from the American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (ACS PUMS) and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). They specifically measure racial disparities among Black and Latinx populations at the state level, and they measure outcomes for the following categories: adults ages 19 to 64 who are uninsured, adults ages 18 to 64 who went without care in the past 12 months because of cost, and adults ages 18 to 64 who report having a usual health care provider. Since 2013, the rates of uninsured adults and the state-level inequities based on race and ethnicity declined. However, the authors found that progress halted on the federal level after 2016, especially in states that did not expand their Medicaid programs. The brief includes figures and data comparing racial and ethnic disparities based on year, category of population, and insurance and coverage rates, as well as a discussion on the policy implications of the American Rescue Plan Act.
Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Health Care Coverage and Access, 2013-2019
Source:
Baumgartner JC, Collins SR, and Radley DC. Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Health Care Coverage and Access, 2013-2019. The Commonwealth Fund 2021. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2021/jun/racial-ethnic-inequities-health-care-coverage-access-2013-2019.