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Racial Equity and Health Policy

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

States Have Enacted or Proposed a Range of Legislation That Will Affect Immigrants’ Access to State-Funded Health Coverage

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

Racism, Discrimination and Health

Designating English as the Official Language of the U.S. Could Affect Millions with LEP

Although President Trump's executive order designating English as the official language of the U.S. does not by itself trigger changes in services provided by agencies or organizations receiving federal funding, the policy is a departure from previous administrations’ approaches to language access for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP).

The order will likely result in more limited availability of language access services for people with LEP, which are important for ensuring access to coverage and care, and for improving health outcomes. That may exacerbate disparities in health and health care, as people with LEP are more likely to be Hispanic, Asian, immigrants, and to have lower incomes. The order could also create confusion for providers, who remain subject to other laws and regulations that still require provision of language access services.

Disappearing Federal Data: Implications for Addressing Health Disparities

State Reported Efforts to Address Health Disparities: A 50 State Review

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

Impacts of Recent Federal and State Actions on Natural Disaster Preparedness and Response on 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.
the Essentials

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

    This brief provides an introduction to what health and health care disparities are, why it is important to address them, what the status of disparities is today, recent federal actions to address disparities, and key issues related to addressing disparities in the future.

  • 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.

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  • 8 Preguntas & Respuestas sobre Puerto Rico

    Fact Sheet

    La crisis de $73 mil millones de Puerto Rico ha sido tema de los medios de comunicación nacionales, y de debate en el Congreso en los últimos meses.

  • Puerto Rico: Datos Básicos

    Fact Sheet

    Puerto Rico: Datos Básicos provee una descripción general del las características demográficas, y estadísticas de salud y la economía. También se da alguna informacion del gobierno, reglas federales de Medicaid, y asuntos corrientes que estan afectando el territorio, incluyendo a Zika.

  • Two Studies Draw Different Conclusions on State of Black America

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses how studies with conflicting views of progress and problems for African Americans can both be true, and why African Americans may feel the problems more than the progress.

  • Profile of Medicare Beneficiaries by Race and Ethnicity: A Chartpack

    Report

    This chartpack draws on data and analysis from a variety of sources to profile the Medicare population through the lens of race and ethnicity, describing life expectancy, demographic characteristics, income and savings, health status and chronic conditions, supplemental coverage, selected measures of access to care, and service utilization.

  • Michigan’s Medicaid Section 1115 Waiver to Address Effects of Lead Exposure in Flint

    Fact Sheet

    On February 13, 2016, Governor Rick Snyder submitted a Medicaid Section 1115 Waiver proposal to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to address issues related to lead exposure in Flint, Michigan. This fact sheet provides some insight into the situation in Flint, Michigan, the history of Medicaid disaster relief waivers and the details of the Medicaid waiver request.

  • Key Data on Health and Health Coverage in South Carolina

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet draws on data from “Health and Health Coverage in the South: A Data Update” to highlight findings for South Carolina. The findings show the current status of health and health coverage in the state and the potential coverage gains that may be achieved through the Affordable Care Act.

  • Health and Health Coverage in the South: A Data Update

    Issue Brief

    This brief provides key data on the South and the current status of health and health coverage in the South to provide greater insight into the health needs in the region and the potential coverage gains that may be achieved through the ACA. It includes data on the uninsured, Medicaid expansion and eligibility for coverage.