Breaking Down Health Inequities: How Payment Discrepancies Among Healthcare Providers Impact Marginalized Communities

Health inequities are a pressing issue in the United States, with significant disparities affecting Americans along racial and ethnic lines. Several factors contribute to these disparities, including access to healthcare, social determinants such as housing and food security, and structural payment inequities within the healthcare system. While numerous studies have examined various causes of health disparities, the impact of payment discrepancies among healthcare providers on these inequities has been largely overlooked.

This report aims to fill this gap by exploring how variations in healthcare provider payment contribute to disparities in healthcare. Specifically, the report investigates whether providers who primarily serve historically marginalized populations, such as Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander individuals, receive lower payments for the same services compared to those who serve predominantly White populations. The study also considers whether these payment discrepancies are driven solely by differences in payer mix or if payment differences within payer types also play a role.

To gain a deeper understanding of this issue, download the full report to access valuable insights into how payment differentials among healthcare providers may contribute to health inequities in the United States.