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Racial Equity and Health Policy

Racism, Discrimination and Health

Health Coverage by Race and Ethnicity, 2010-2024

This brief examines trends in health coverage by race and ethnicity from 2010 through 2024. Since 2010, there have been large gains in health coverage across racial and ethnic groups but racial and ethnic disparities in coverage persisted. The largest gains occurred after implementation of the ACA coverage expansions in 2014.

In 2024, the overall uninsured rate increased for the first time since 2019 as pandemic-era continuous enrollment in Medicaid came to an end, with significant increases among Hispanic, Black, and White people under age 65. Coverage disparities have persisted over time and, in some cases, widened despite earlier gains under the ACA.

Racial Disparities in Life Expectancy

The Growing Use of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care and Implications for Disparities

KFF Survey on Racism, Discrimination and Health: Views on Racism and Trust in Key U.S. Institutions

Elimination of Federal Diversity Initiatives: Updates and Current Status

the Essentials

  • Health Coverage by Race and Ethnicity, 2010-2024

    There have been longstanding racial and ethnic disparities in health coverage that contribute to disparities in health. This brief examines trends in health coverage by race and ethnicity from 2010 through 2024 and discusses the implications for such disparities.

  • Timeline: How History Has Shaped Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

    This timeline offers a historical view of significant U.S. federal policies and events spanning the early 1800s to today that have influenced present-day health disparities.

  • Health Policy 101: Chapter on Race, Inequality and Health

    Addressing persistent racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care is important for improving the nation’s health and economic prosperity. KFF explains such disparities and the factors that drive them, examines the actions to address them, and outlines future considerations.

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

    Racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care remain a persistent challenge in the United States. An updated KFF resource examines how people of color fare compared to White people across 64 measures of health, health care, and social determinants of health.
Interactive Timeline

How History Has Shaped Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: A Timeline of Policies and Events

This interactive timeline explores how history has shaped racial and ethnic health disparities and the lasting effects that persist to this day.

The timeline describes major U.S. federal policies and events since the early 1800s that are linked to present-day health disparities. It also covers policies that impact health coverage and access to care, medicine, and social and economic policies that influence health as well as efforts to tackle inequalities.

Survey of Immigrants

KFF-New York Times Survey: Immigrants Report Rising Fear, Negative Economic and Health Impacts, and Changing Political Views During the First Year of President Trump’s Second Term

The 2025 Survey of Immigrants, a partnership between KFF and The New York Times, takes an in-depth look at the experiences of immigrants during the first year of President Trump’s second term, including their worries related to increased immigration enforcement, their health and economic wellbeing, and the political views and preferences of immigrant voters. The survey paints a portrait of families under strain — where fear of detention and economic instability are negatively impacting immigrants’ health and reshaping immigrant families’ daily lives and views of U.S. political parties.

Read the News Release | Explore The New York Times’ Reporting

Immigrants

Many Lawfully Present Immigrants Will Lose Health Coverage Due to the 2025 Tax and Budget Law

This policy watch outlines the groups of lawfully present immigrants that will lose access to federally funded health coverage due to new restrictions on eligibility in the 2025 tax and budget law.
It also highlights the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) estimates of the number of lawfully present immigrants who will become uninsured due to the provisions, as well as estimated federal savings that will result.
CBO estimates that the law’s restrictions on eligibility will result in 1.4 million lawfully present immigrants becoming uninsured and reduce federal spending by $131 billion by 2034.

Related: Key Facts on Health Coverage of Immigrants

Recent State Actions Related to Immigrants’ Access to Services and Immigration Enforcement

Health Issues for Immigrants in Detention Centers

Policy Bars Many Immigrants from a Broad Range of Federal Health and Social Supports

Role of Immigrants in the Hospital Workforce

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  • The Four Americas:  Government and Social Policy Through the Eyes of America’s Multi-racial and Multi-ethnic Society

    Poll Finding

    The Four Americas: Government and Social Policy Through the Eyes of America's Multi-racial and Multi-ethnic Society This report is the first of a series of surveys conducted jointly by The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University examining public knowledge, values and beliefs on major issues and challenges facing our nation, such as race, poverty, reducing the deficit, the role of government in our society, and our nation's obligations in the world. The hope is that this…

  • Survey of Hurricane Katrina Evacuees

    Report

    To give voice to people whose lives have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing floods, The Washington Post, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a unique survey of evacuees in shelters in the Houston area. The provides information on evacuees' lives before the hurricane and inside Houston area shelters, as well as their plans for the future. The survey also includes a number of health-related questions, including…

  • What’s the Diagnosis? Latinos, Media & Health: A Series of Three Reports – Report

    Report

    What's the Diagnosis? A Series of Three Reports on Latinos, Media & Health Summary of Key Findings June 1998 Overview: A Series of 3 Reports Latinos are disproportionately affected by some of the most serious health problems facing our country. They are more likely to be uninsured and face problems getting health care when needed. Young Latinos, in particular, are confronting very high rates of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Latinos have also…

  • Medicare’s Role for Latinos

    Fact Sheet

    Medicare's Role for Latinos Fact Sheet: The Medicare Program: Medicare's Role For Latinos

  • A Profile of American Indians and Alaska Natives and Their Health Coverage

    Issue Brief

    A Profile of American Indians and Alaska Natives and Their Health Coverage This brief examines the health coverage, access to care and health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives across the country. Although the U.S. government has an established responsibility through tribal agreements to provide health care services to members of federally recognized Indian tribes, many American Indians and Alaska Natives lack access to health care. The brief gives an overview of the some…

  • Race and Recession Survey

    Poll Finding

    The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University partnership conducted a survey to examine how the recession has reshaped the lives of Americans and takes a closer look at experiences by race and ethnicity. This survey is the 21st in a series of surveys dating back to 1995 that have been conducted as part of The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation Survey Project. Toplines (.pdf) Read The Washington Post articles on the survey:Economy poll: African Americans, Hispanics were…

  • The Digital Divide And Access To Health Information Online

    Poll Finding

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) calls for a number of web-based initiatives, including development of the website healthcare.gov which provides a variety of health information and helps individuals find coverage options. Therefore, understanding the level and quality of Internet access among those groups most likely to benefit from reform, such as the uninsured, those with lower incomes, and members of racial and ethnic minority groups, is an important consideration as health reform is implemented. A…

  • The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies/Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Black Elected Officials on HIV/AIDS

    Poll Finding

    This chartpack highlights results from a survey of the perceptions and attitudes of 550 Black elected officials (BEOs) on HIV/AIDS issues. The survey, a collaborative effort of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and the Kaiser Family Foundation, interviewed elected officials from 12 states and jurisdictions that have been hard hit by the HIV epidemic. The officials were selected randomly by type of office (federal, state, county, municipal, school board, judiciary). The survey…

  • Kaiser’s Monthly Update on Health Disparities

    Other Post

    Kaiser's Disparities Research Roundup This Kaiser Disparities Research Roundup is a regularly updated summary of new research on health care disparities. It includes selected academic research and policy papers that focus on a broad range of disparities in health care, including disparities in health insurance coverage, access to care, utilization of care, quality of care, and health status. .header {FONT-WEIGHT: bold;FONT-SIZE: 12px;COLOR: #000000;FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;text-transform: uppercase;}.text {FONT-WEIGHT: normal;FONT-SIZE: 12px;COLOR: #000000;FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica,…

  • Putting Men’s Health Care Disparities On The Map: Access and Utilization Highlights

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet provides a brief overview of racial disparities in health access and utilization among men of different races in the United States. It draws findings from the report, Putting Men’s Health Care Disparities On the Map, which uses national data sources from multiple years to generate state-level estimates on a range of indicators of health status, access, and well-being for men of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Men and women use health care…