Disparities in Health Care — From Politics to Policy

This first report clearly demonstrates that racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities are national problems that affect health care at all points in the process, at all sites of care, and for all medical conditions — in fact, disparities in the health care system are pervasive. — National Healthcare Disparities Report, as submitted to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), July 2003. 1 This first report finds that, while most Americans receive exceptional quality of health care and have excellent access to needed services, some socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic differences exist. . . .