Black Michiganders face wide health disparities
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Black Michiganders continue to experience massive disparities in health care, according to a new national study.
Why it matters: No state has eliminated health disparities between racial and ethnic groups — and researchers warn recent federal policy shifts are likely to widen them.
Driving the news: Private health care research firm the Commonwealth Fund published its 2026 State Health Disparities Report on April 29.
- The study evaluated 24 indicators of health system performance with data from 2022 to 2024 for racial and ethnic groups in each state.
- Based on composite scores of those indicators, groups were given percentile scores from 1 (worst) to 100 (best).
The big picture: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI), Hispanic and white Michiganders scored above average, while Black and American Indian/Alaska Native Michiganders lagged far behind.
- Yes, but: Michigan's racial and ethnic health disparities are less severe than other Great Lakes states, per the report.
What they're saying: "As a primary care physician, I've seen how racial and ethnic disparities not only harm the people experiencing them, but also weaken the entire system," Commonwealth Fund president Joseph R. Betancourt said in a release.
- "Our report shows even high-performing states are not immune. But the truth is, when health systems look at where they're falling short for their patients and make closing those gaps a real priority, they deliver better care for everyone."
By the numbers: Black Michiganders under 75 die of avoidable causes much more frequently (333 per 100,000) than their white (187), Hispanic (163) and Asian American (64) counterparts.
- American Indian (17%) and Hispanic (15%) Michiganders are more likely to be uninsured than other groups, which are all between 6% and 9%.
- The infant mortality rate for Black Michiganders is a staggering 12.8 per 1,000 live births, more than double the rate of Hispanic (5.2) and white (4.7) Michiganders.
The bottom line: The report says its evidence shows "states with stronger overall health system performance also tend to perform better on health equity."
- It says state factors like Medicaid eligibility, medical debt and family and parent support can all contribute to better outcomes.
- It also proposes steps Congress could take to improve nationwide health outcomes, including expanding access to insurance, strengthening primary care delivery, protecting access to preventive care and implementing "digital health innovations."