A recent study from the Commonwealth Fund highlights significant disparities in the U.S. health care system for Black and Hispanic individuals compared to white individuals. In New England, Connecticut stands out for having more severe racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Despite Black individuals in Connecticut ranking among the best in terms of health care compared to 39 other states, they still face significant racial gaps.
One of the most concerning disparities is that Black individuals in Connecticut are over two times more likely than white individuals to die before the age of 75 from treatable causes. Additionally, Black individuals aged 65 and older were almost twice as likely to make potentially avoidable ER visits and had nearly double the hospital readmission rate within 30 days compared to white individuals. The data also shows that over three times more Black babies died than white babies in the state.
On the other hand, while some members of the Hispanic population in Connecticut were uninsured, this number was significantly lower than that of their white counterparts – only 4% of the state’s white population was uninsured compared to 16% of Hispanics. However, these disparities do not mean that all members of these communities experience equal access to quality healthcare; Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders in Connecticut had some of the best health outcomes when compared to data from 31 other states.
White individuals living in Connecticut also fared well overall, ranking fourth in terms of health outcomes among all U.S. states. These disparities highlight a need for addressing racial and ethnic disparities within the health care system to ensure equitable access and outcomes for all individuals.
In summary, while some progress has been made towards improving health care outcomes for marginalized communities in Connecticut, significant work remains to be done to address ongoing disparities between racial and ethnic groups and ensure equitable access to quality healthcare for all Americans.
