Health care system disparities in the U.S. vary significantly for Black and Hispanic individuals in comparison to white individuals, as indicated by a recent Commonwealth Fund study. Within New England, Connecticut stands out for having more severe racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Although Black individuals in Connecticut rank among the best in terms of health care compared to 39 other states, the state still exhibits significant racial gaps. In fact, the health care system in Connecticut performs the worst for Black individuals, with Black individuals being over two times more likely than white individuals to die before the age of 75 from treatable causes.
Furthermore, Black individuals aged 65 and older in Connecticut 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. Additionally, the data shows that over three times more Black babies died than white babies in the state. On the other hand, 16% of the Hispanic population in Connecticut was uninsured, compared to only 4% of the state’s white population.
In contrast, 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 had overall some of the best health outcomes in the country, ranking fourth. These disparities in health care outcomes highlight the need for addressing racial and ethnic disparities within the health care system to ensure equitable access and outcomes for all individuals.