Racial disparities pervade many systems in the United States and Canada. Healthcare is unfortunately no exception. There are significant inequities between Black, Indigenous, and Peoples of Colour compared to White People.
While some may argue that investing more in healthcare to ensure it is equitable may increase the cost of healthcare overall, LaVeist et al. 2023 affirm that there is an economic burden of racial, ethnic, and educational health inequities in the United States. They estimate that this cost for the United States in 2018 was $451 billion USD. The highest economic cost of having racial and ethnic inequities can be attributed to the premature mortality of Black Americans. This study estimates that the disproportionate premature passing of Black Americans – for which health inequities can be attributed – cost the United States approximately $311 billion USD.
Alcindor, Y., Wellford, R., Lloyd, B., & Bolaji, L. (2021, February 24). With a history of abuse in American medicine, Black patients struggle for equal access. PBS News Hour.
Brannon, K. (2023). Study: Rising cost of racial and ethnic health inequities in the US surpasses $450 billion. Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
LaVeist, T. A., Pérez-Stable, E. J., Richard, P., et al. (2023). The Economic Burden of Racial, Ethnic, and Educational Health Inequities in the US. JAMA, 329(19), 1682-1692.
Young, C. L. (2020, February 19). There are clear, race-based inequalities in health insurance and health outcomes. Brookings.