The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines health disparities as, “preventable differences in the burden, disease, injury, violence, or in opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by socially disadvantaged racial, ethnic, and other population groups and communities.” A health care disparity typically refers to differences between groups in health insurance coverage, affordability, access to and use of care, and quality of care. Healthy People 2030 defines a health disparity, as “a particular type of health difference that is linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage,” and that adversely affects groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health. There are multiple definitions of health disparities. Health and health care disparities refer to differences in health and health care between groups that stem from broader inequities. What are health and health care disparities? This brief provides an introduction to what health and health care disparities are, why it is important to address disparities, what the status of disparities is today, recent federal actions to address disparities, and key issues related to addressing disparities looking ahead. Addressing health disparities is not only important from an equity standpoint, but also for improving the nation’s overall health and economic prosperity.
Although growing efforts have focused recently on addressing disparities, the ending of some policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, including continuous enrollment for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), may reverse progress and widen disparities. These disparities are not new and reflect longstanding structural and systemic inequities rooted in racism and discrimination.
The COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide racial justice movement over the past several years have heightened the focus on health disparities and their underlying causes and contributed to the increased prioritization of health equity.
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