THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF HEALTH INEQUALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES
THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF HEALTH INEQUALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES
No Thumbnail Available
Publication or External Link
Date
2009
Authors
LaVeist, Thomas A.
Gaskin, Darrell J.
Richard, Patrick
Advisor
Citation
LaVeist, Thomas A. and Gaskin, Darrell J. and Richard, Patrick Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (2009) THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF HEALTH INEQUALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. Other. UNSPECIFIED.
DRUM DOI
Abstract
We estimated the economic burden of health disparities in the United States using three measures: (1) direct medical costs of health inequalities, (2) indirect costs of health inequalities, and (3) costs of premature death. Our analysis found: • Between 2003 and 2006 thecombined costs of health inequalitiesand premature death in the United States were $1.24 trillion. • Eliminating health disparities for minorities would havereduced direct medicalcareexpenditures by $229.4 billion for the years 2003-2006. • Between 2003 and 2006, 30.6% of direct medicalcareexpenditures for African Americans, Asians,and Hispanics were excess costs due to health inequalities. • Eliminating health inequalities for minorities would havereduced indirectcostsassociated with illnessand premature death by morethan onetrillion dollars between 2003 and 2006.