The state of health in the U.S. might not be what you’d expect from a wealthy nation, and health inequity may be part of the reason why. As the only high-income nation without guaranteed health coverage, many Americans don’t receive the care they need due to systemic inequalities. 

In this article, we’ll get into what health inequity is, how it impacts BIPIC communities, and what’s being done to help combat it. 

Defining health inequity 

To fight against health inequity, we first need to understand what it is. Unlike health disparities or differences, health inequities are systemic, avoidable, and unjust differences due to barriers like socioeconomic inequality, racial discrimination, and inadequate access to healthcare services. They often impact marginalized or already disadvantaged communities. 

A 2023 survey by KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation) found that: 

The impact of health inequity 
While these facts are staggering, they only touch the surface of the impact that unequal access to healthcare, food insecurity, and environmental factors have on marginalized communities. 

How examining Boston neighborhoods underscored health inequity 
In 2023, the Boston Public Health Commission released a report highlighting the persistence of health inequities in the city and their impact on mortality, life expectancy, and chronic diseases. The study revealed how inequities impact the health of Boston’s BIPOC communities. 

The study also included two neighborhoods: Back Bay, a predominantly white and affluent area, and Roxbury, a historically Black and lower-income community. The distance between the two neighborhoods is only about 2 miles, but the inequities are far greater. 

Census tracts indicated a 23-year difference in life expectancy between Roxbury (68.8 years) and Back Bay (91.6 years) residents, and affluent Back Bay residents had the lowest age-adjusted heart disease mortality rate (79.7) in the city. 

Studies like this one highlight how factors like racism, access to and quality of housing, employment, public safety, and food access can impact health outcomes and highlight where changes need to be made. 

Ways to combat health inequity 
Health inequities are a result of decades of unfair and unjust systems, so eliminating them won’t happen overnight. Engaging with policymakers and healthcare providers to address systemic inequalities and provide resources is a good place to start. 

USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy places access to care, reducing the number of uninsured people, and community programming at the
top of their list for improving health equity. They also encourage healthcare providers to raise awareness among the provider community through education and training; increase health literacy within impacted communities; urge policymakers to expand healthcare coverage to those with limited access;
provide more resources to rural and low-incoming communities; and work with organizations to address the root causes of health disparities. 

What WellWithAll is doing about health inequity 
WellWithAll was born from a firsthand understanding of how destructive health inequity can be. As a company, we’re committed to helping make quality healthcare more accessible to everyone by championing our communities, identifying healthcare gaps, educating communities about smart self-care, taking a proactive approach to change; and designing and implementing neighborhood prevention programs. That commitment includes allocating 20% of company profits to fund and build health initiatives for Black, Brown, and underserved communities. 

We’re also proud to partner with nonprofits and research medical organizations to support communities of color including the Dimock Center and HeartBright. The Dimock Center is based in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood (the same one from the Boston Public Health Commission study) and offers a health center, child and family services programs, and behavioral health services. Their comprehensive, culturally competent care serves more than 19,000 people each year. HeartBright is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based nonprofit focused on community education and funding preventative cardiology programs in communities in need.

Health inequity in the US is a complex issue stemming from facets of everyday life, from access to quality housing, food, and healthcare to everyday dealings with racism and discrimination. Changing health outcomes for affected communities is something that requires long-term effort and collaboration among policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities. Exposure to and education about the issue is one way we hope to start the conversation.