The Economic Burden of Health Inequalities in the United States

This study, carried out by leading researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, provides important insight into how much of a fi nancial burden racial disparities are putting on our health care system and society at large. The researchers examined the direct costs associated with the provision of care to a sicker and more disadvantaged population, as well as the indirect costs of health inequities such as lost productivity, lost wages, absenteeism, family leave, and premature death.