September 26, Wisconsin Health News

Substantial health disparities exist among ethnic groups and those with different healthcare payers in the state, according to a recent report from the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality.

The collaborative, with help from the University of Wisconsin Health Innovation Program, looked at disparities related to race, payer and location.

Matt Gigot, director of performance measurement and analysis at the collaborative, said they’re seeing substantial disparities among American Indians and Alaska Natives as well as the state’s black population.

They’re also seeing substantial disparities among Medicaid enrollees and the uninsured compared to the commercial population.

“For some populations, a targeted approach can be taken to mitigate one or two areas where the group is experiencing disparities,” the report’s co-author Dr. Maureen Smith, a University of Wisconsin professor of population health sciences and family medicine, said in a statement. “If we want to close the gaps in health outcomes and care for people who are experiencing multiple disparities, it will require a community-wide response.”

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