Report shows health care gaps for Hispanic Arkansans
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Arkansas performance percentile is highlighted. No highlighted dot indicates overall performance data is not available for that group. Screenshot: Commonwealth Fund
Hispanic residents in Arkansas have the worst health care quality in the state and nearly the worst access to health care in the country, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report.
The big picture: No state has eliminated gaps in health care access, quality or outcomes between racial and ethnic groups — and researchers warn recent federal policy shifts are likely to widen them.
- Nationally, rates of people skipping needed care because of cost are rising again after hitting record lows in 2021 and 2022, per the report, with the steepest increases among Hispanic and American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
By the numbers: 35% of Hispanic people ages 19-64 in Arkansas were uninsured, compared to 10% of white people of the same age group in Arkansas. Nationally, 23% of Hispanic people ages 19-64 were uninsured.
- The rate of Hispanic children with age-appropriate medical and dental preventive care visits in Arkansas was 51% compared to 63% nationally. That rate is 67% for white children in Arkansas.
- Hispanic people were also more likely to go without care because of cost and less likely to have had cancer screenings.
Yes, but: Health outcomes for Hispanic residents were overall better than white residents in Arkansas, with lower mortality rates from preventable cases and lower obesity rates.
- Researchers have called this the "Hispanic paradox" for decades and have suggested that low smoking rates, strong social and family networks in Hispanic communities and people who immigrate skewing healthier could all contribute to the trend, according to the National Library of Medicine.
- However, that trend could be fading, according to the American Heart Association.
Zoom in: Black Arkansans had significantly worse health outcomes than white Arkansans, with 214 deaths before age 75 from treatable causes per 100,000 people compared to 127 deaths among white people.
- Black Arkansans also had higher infant mortality rates, obesity rates and breast and colorectal cancer death rates.
How it works: The Commonwealth Fund analyzed 24 performance indicators across three domains — health outcomes, health care access and quality and use of services — using federal data from 2022 to 2024.
- Researchers calculated standardized scores for five racial and ethnic groups (where sample sizes allowed), then ranked each group's experience on a 1-to-100 percentile scale relative to all groups nationally.
- The data predates 2025–2026 federal changes including Medicaid cuts, which authors say likely make disparities worse.
What we're watching: How Arkansas responds. The report's authors point to extending Affordable Care Act tax credits, expanding Medicaid and protecting preventive care access as the policy moves most likely to narrow the gaps.