KC's health care gap, by the numbers
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Kansas ranks last and Missouri second-to-last among 39 states in the quality of care their health systems provide to Black residents, a new Commonwealth Fund report finds.
Why it matters: No state has closed the racial gap in who can afford a doctor, get quality treatment or survive preventable illness, and researchers warn that 2025 federal Medicaid cuts will widen it.
Zoom in: In Kansas, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents had the best health system experience, scoring in the 73rd percentile nationally. Black Kansans scored in the 10th.
- 15% of Black adults ages 19 to 64 in Kansas lack insurance, compared to 8% of white adults. For Hispanic adults, it's 28%.
- Black Kansans died before 75 from preventable causes at a rate of 348 per 100,000, vs. 204 for white residents.
- Infant mortality among Black babies was 9.5 per 1,000 live births, compared to 5.3 for white babies.
Missouri's numbers tell a similar story. White Missourians scored in the 64th percentile, while American Indian and Alaska Native residents scored in the 5th.
- 12.5 Black babies per 1,000 live births died before their first birthday in Missouri, compared to 5.4 for white babies.
- 24% of Hispanic adults in Missouri are uninsured, vs. 9% of white adults.
The big picture: Nationally, the share of adults skipping care because of cost is climbing again after hitting record lows in 2021 and 2022, with the steepest jumps among Hispanic and Native communities, per the report.
- Black Americans continue to die from avoidable causes at higher rates than any other group.
Between the lines: Researchers analyzed 24 indicators across health outcomes, access and quality using federal data from 2022 to 2024.
- The numbers predate this year's Medicaid cuts and the expiration of enhanced ACA tax credits, which authors say are likely to widen every gap.
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 also proposes steps Congress could take to improve nationwide health outcomes, including expanding access to insurance, delivery, protecting access to preventive care and implementing "digital health innovations."
Go deeper: Read the full report.