Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans seeking preventative care are “substantially” more likely to have their claims denied by their health insurance company, a 2024 study finds.
The University of Toronto’s Institute of Health, Management, and Evaluation studied preventative care denials from private US health insurance companies. Preventative care is a form of healthcare that helps prevent diseases or detect health issues early on. This includes cancer and heart disease screenings, pregnancy health screenings, immunizations, and more.
The group reviewed claims filed by more than 1.5 million US patients between 2017-2020. It found that at-risk populations seeking preventative care, including low-income individuals and people of color, experienced higher denial rates.
This meant patients most likely to benefit from free preventative care were less likely to be able to access it.
Low-income patients were roughly 40% more likely than high-income patients to have their claim for preventative care denied.
Likewise, Black, Hispanic, and Asian patients were all between two and three times more likely than White patients to have claims denied.
According to the Institute, these disparities likely “perpetuate inequitable access to high-value health care”.
Assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO uncovers simmering anger at healthcare system in America
These disparities in claim denials are just one of many reasons Americans are displaying increased anger at the country’s healthcare system. And that anger has become even clearer in the wake of last week’s assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Thompson was walking in midtown New York City, heading to a company conference. Shortly before 7:00am, a man walked up behind Thompson and shot him twice in the back before fleeing. Thompson died at the hospital shortly after, and 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was later arrested in connection to the murder.
Online reaction to the assassination has been largely void of sympathy for the healthcare CEO. Axios highlighted one example of online vitriol toward health insurance corporations, citing X user @LogOffAlready.
“When you shoot one man in the street it’s murder. When you kill thousands of people in hospitals by taking away their ability to get treatment you’re an entrepreneur,” the user wrote.
Last year, UnitedHealthcare was named in a lawsuit filed by the families of two deceased patients insured with the company. The lawsuit claims the company used a “faulty AI system” which denied care for elderly patients, even though their doctors had already determined the care was “medically necessary”.
Concerns over US Healthcare only grow as Trump prepares to take office again
Recent studies show most Americans believe their healthcare costs are too expensive. According to Commonwealth Fund, most Americans delay getting care because of costs, and nearly 1/3 of patients with health insurance still go into debt because of medical bills.
The growing disparities and anger appear unlikely to be resolved anytime soon as Donald Trump prepares to take office. Trump and the GOP’s Project 2025 appear poised to attempt to gut Medicare and Medicaid.
The President-elect also attempted to overturn the Affordable Care Act in 2017, but failed. Now, Trump promises another overhaul of the healthcare system, but has yet to provide any concrete plans to ensure the most at-risk Americans won’t be targeted again.
The United States of America remains one of a very few developed nations in the world without Universal Healthcare. Canada, Mexico, and most European and South American nations provide their citizens with government-funded healthcare coverage, according to World Population Review. Universal healthcare largely ensures nearly all residents can access both preventative, primary, and specialty care without added financial burden.
