Racial and ethnic minorities make up about one-third of the U.S. population and more than half of the people who are uninsured.1 Between 2003 and 2006, the total direct and indirect costs of health inequities affecting racial and ethnic minority populations more broadly – including lost wages and productivity –exceeded $1.2 trillion.2 The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has examined the case for eliminating racial and ethnic health and health care disparities. They identified lack of insurance as a significant driver of health care disparities because, more than any other barrier, it negatively affects the quality of care received by minority populations. 3,4,5 The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) documented that racial and ethnic minorities receive poorer quality of care and face more barriers when it comes to chronic disease management and preventive care.6 National and state disparities data pertaining to racial and ethnic populations, as well as other adversely affected groups, adds to the evidence that calls for targeted action. (The term “disparities data” in this paper refers to data related to racial and ethnic minority populations.)