Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care Delivery: The Purchaser’s Role – October 2003

Throughout the past century, the overall health of and life expectancy for many Americans has vastly improved. However, many studies indicate that racial and ethnic minorities experience less than adequate access to care, lower quality care, and poorer health outcomes than the rest of the nation. Reducing or eliminating racial and ethnic health care disparities is a priority for the Pennsylvania Department of Health and federal health care agencies, and is one of the most significant goals under Healthy People 2010, a comprehensive national health promotion and disease prevention initiative of the federal government and the public health community.