Racial Disparities in Healthcare Access Persist Across Generations
A new analysis reveals significant and ongoing disparities in healthcare access and preventative care for people of color in the United States, impacting both adults and children. These gaps highlight systemic inequities that contribute to poorer health outcomes across various racial and ethnic groups.
Among adults under 65, people of color are demonstrably less likely to have a consistent healthcare provider. Approximately 36% of Hispanic adults, 25% of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) adults, and 22% and 19% of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) and Asian adults, respectively, report lacking a personal doctor or provider, compared to 16% of White adults. While the rate among Black adults (15%) is similar to that of their White counterparts (16%), significant differences emerge when considering cost as a barrier to care.
Hispanic (23%), NHPI (19%), AIAN (18%), and Black (16%) adults are more likely than White adults (12%) to forgo seeing a doctor in the past year due to financial constraints. Interestingly, Asian adults (8%) are less likely than White adults to cite cost as a reason for delaying care. These financial barriers also extend to preventative care, with Hispanic adults (30%) being more likely than White adults (26%) to skip routine checkups. Conversely, Black adults (19%) are less likely to report missing these checkups. Access to dental care also varies significantly, with Hispanic (45%), AIAN (41%), and Black (36%) adults reporting higher rates of forgoing dental visits compared to White adults (32%).
These disparities extend to the youngest members of society. Roughly one-third of Hispanic (34%), Black (34%), and Asian (34%) children lack a consistent source of medical care when sick, a rate significantly higher than the 15% observed among White children. Similarly, Hispanic (39%), AIAN (39%), Black (33%), and Asian (28%) children are less likely to have a regular doctor or nurse than White children (21%). Preventative dental care also lags for children of color, with Black (25%), Asian (23%), and Hispanic (22%) children reporting higher rates of missed dental visits compared to White children (18%). It is important to note that data regarding NHPI children should be interpreted cautiously due to limitations in confidence intervals.
The challenges extend beyond routine and preventative care. Among adults experiencing mental illness, access to mental health services is unevenly distributed. Nearly six in ten (58%) White adults with a mental illness received care in the past year, a rate considerably higher than that of Hispanic (44%) and Black (39%) adults, and significantly higher than the one-third (33%) of Asian adults who received mental health care. Data for AIAN and NHPI adults are currently unavailable.
Cancer screenings also reveal disparities. While Black women (22%) are less likely than White women (27%) to miss a recent mammogram, AIAN (37%) and Hispanic (30%) women are more likely to go without this crucial screening. Furthermore, Hispanic, Asian, AIAN, and NHPI individuals are less likely to be up-to-date on colorectal cancer screenings, and AIAN (47%), Asian (46%), Hispanic (40%), and Black (34%) individuals report lower rates of recent Pap smears compared to their White counterparts (31%). Experts emphasize that increased cancer screenings have been a key driver in reducing cancer mortality rates in recent decades.
Finally, vaccination rates demonstrate ongoing inequities. During the 2023-2024 flu season, approximately two-thirds of Hispanic (65%) and AIAN (65%) adults, and 58% of Black adults, did not receive a flu vaccine, compared to half (51%) of White adults. The pattern shifts among children, with White children (48%) being more likely to forgo the flu vaccine than Hispanic (39%) and Asian (31%) children. In terms of childhood immunizations, AIAN (41%), Black (36%), and Hispanic (35%) children were more likely than White children (31%) to have not received all recommended vaccinations between 2021 and 2023. Data for NHPI adults and children regarding flu and childhood vaccinations remain unavailable.
These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to address systemic barriers to healthcare access and ensure equitable health outcomes for all Americans.
