Filter

1 - 10 of 39 Results

  • Impacts of Federal Actions on Extreme Heat and Health

    Issue Brief

    Between 1999 and 2023, the number of heat-related deaths in the U.S. increased by 117%. KFF analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that American Indian or Alaska Native and Black people are at higher risk of experiencing a heat-related death compared to their White counterparts. Estimates suggest that heat events in the U.S result in approximately $1 billion in excess health care costs each year. If left unaddressed, climate change could cost the U.S. economy approximately $14.5 trillion over the next fifty years.

  • Health Coverage by Race and Ethnicity, 2010-2023

    Issue Brief

    There were gains in coverage across most racial and ethnic groups between 2019 and 2023 after several years of rising uninsured rates during the first Trump administration. The coverage gains between 2019 and 2023 were largely driven by increases in Medicaid coverage, reflecting policies to stabilize and expand access to affordable coverage that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Understanding Racial and Ethnic Identity in Federal Data and Impacts for Health Disparities

    Issue Brief

    How race, ethnicity, and nationality have been defined and measured has important implications for health disparities, affecting who can access health, social, and economic resources. While narrow and inconsistent race and ethnicity categories have obscured inequities and limited the ability to address the diverse needs of different populations, data on race and ethnicity have also been used to address disparities by informing policies and interventions.

  • Disparities in Access to Air Conditioning And Implications for Heat-Related Health Risks

    Issue Brief

    This analysis examines disparities in access to air condition and their implications. It shows Asian-, Black-, and Hispanic-led households are more likely to report not having an air conditioning unit in their home compared to White households. Lower income households also are more likely than higher-income households to report this and other challenges.

  • Disparities in Health and Health Care: 5 Key Questions and Answers

    Issue Brief

    Disparities in health and health care for people of color and underserved groups are longstanding challenges. This brief provides an introduction to what health and health care disparities are, why it is important to address disparities, the status of disparities today, recent federal actions to address disparities, and key issues related to addressing disparities looking ahead.

  • Key Data on Health and Health Care by Race and Ethnicity

    Feature

    This analysis examines how people of color fare compared to White people across 64 measures of health, health care, and social determinants of health using the most recent data available from federal surveys and administrative sets as well as the 2023 KFF Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health.

  • Race, Inequality, and Health

    Feature

    This Health Policy 101 chapter provides an overview of racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care and the factors that drive them, including the role of historical events and social and economic factors. It discusses why addressing disparities is important for health and economic prosperity, reviews recent actions to address disparities, and outlines future considerations.

  • Five Key Facts About Black Immigrants’ Experiences in the United States

    Issue Brief

    Black immigrants come to the U.S. seeking more opportunities for themselves and their children, and most report improved educational opportunities and employment and financial situations as a result of moving to the U.S. However, Black immigrants report disproportionate levels of unfair treatment and discrimination in their workplaces, communities, and when seeking health care, reflecting the intersectional impacts of racism and anti-immigrant sentiment.

  • Continued Rises in Extreme Heat and Implications for Health Disparities

    Issue Brief

    Recent literature shows that within the U.S., some communities of color have higher risks of heat-related mortality than White people. Consistent with trends in earlier years, between 2018-2021, AIAN people were most likely to die due to heat compared to all other racial and ethnic groups, and Black people had a higher rate of heat-related deaths compared to White people.