According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Non-Hispanic White people and Non-Hispanic Black people in the U.S. face disparities in healthcare as well.

Some key points this study noted:² 

• In the U.S., American Indian and Alaskan Natives fare better than White people in selected health measures, particularly those related to cancer. Because they are likely to be U.S. citizens and speak English well, these factors reduce their barriers to accessing health coverage and care.   
• Asians, as an aggregate group, do not fare worse than white people across most examined measures. They fare the same or better compared to White people for most examined measures. Yet, Asians do fare worse in some measures such as receipt of some routine care and screening and some social determinants of health (e.g., homeownership, crowded housing, and childhood experiences with racism).   
• Yet, Asians have higher shares of noncitizens who may not speak English well, which contributes to barriers in accessing health coverage and care. Moreover, the data may be masking underlying disparities among subgroups of the Asian population.   
• The rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and increased discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic may have also affected Asians’ health and healthcare experiences negatively.   
• Insufficient data and data gaps for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) prevented the study from identifying and understanding health disparities for this group. Where data was available, NHOPIs fared worse compared to White people for at least half of the measures. 

According to this overview³, which is based on data from a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of 2017-2021 five-year American Community Survey, AIAN and NHOPI people “have faced significant and longstanding disparities in health and health care, including high uninsured rates. Moreover, these groups face unique cha challenges in accessing health care, including geographic isolation, economic challenges, and limited access to culturally appropriate care.” 

The overview outlines the key factors that cause these disparities, including, but not limited to, the following: 

• “AIAN and NHOPI people come from diverse backgrounds with unique relationships to the U.S.” 
• “AIAN and NHOPI people vary across key factors that influence health, including citizenship, English proficiency, and income.” 
• “Some AIAN people are enrolled in a federally recognized Tribe or a state-recognized Tribe, and others are not enrolled in a Tribe. Tribal enrollment has important implications for access to benefits since members and descendants of members of federally recognized Tribes have broader access to certain federal programs, including the Indian Health Service” 
• “AIAN and NHOPI people are more likely to have limited English proficiency compared to their White counterparts.” 
• “There are wide variations in uninsured rates among AIAN people by racial subgroup, IHS region, and Medicaid expansion status.” 
• “Higher uninsured rates among AIAN and NHOPI people contribute to barriers to accessing and utilizing care, which, in turn, can contribute to worse health outcomes.” 

According to the Survey of Immigrants⁴, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in partnership with the Los Angeles Times during Spring 2023, immigrants to the United States face the following challenges in health care access: 

• “Immigrants who are Black or Hispanic report disproportionate levels of discrimination at work, in their communities, and in health care settings.” 
• “Even with high levels of employment, one third of immigrants report problems affording basic needs like food, housing, and health care.” 
• “About half of all immigrants have limited English proficiency, and about half among this group say they have faced language barriers in a variety of settings and interactions.” 

Disparities in healthcare are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.