About two-thirds of adults agree that the United States should prioritize eliminating health inequalities for all, according to a survey.
Photo by Giselleflissak, courtesy of iStockphoto
Americans are more united than divided in wanting a country that makes health equity a priority, according to a recent survey.
More than two-thirds of adults agree that the United States should prioritize eliminating health inequalities for all, according to the results of a new survey from the Institute for Policy Solutions at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.
The nationally representative survey, released in February, found that 70% of adults believe health care is a right and not a privilege, and 75% of adults feel that everyone should have access to health care regardless of their ability to pay. More than 20% of respondents said they delayed getting medical care last year because of costs, and nearly 14% said they had difficulty paying for the care they received.
“Most people agree that we must prioritize as a nation the elimination of those unjust, unjust and preventable negative outcomes, which cluster in groups that are often further removed from opportunity, who are marginalized or minoritized,” said the institute’s executive director, Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, MPH. The health of the nation. “I think that was something that, if you just listened to a lot of rhetoric, you wouldn’t think the country was that clear.”
The findings come in the wake of the Trump administration’s actions to erase equity work in the U.S. Since taking the reins of the nation last year, the administration has canceled programs and funding and laid off workers working on the issue.
Conversations about health inequity often focus on race and ethnicity, as people of color in marginalized populations tend to have worse health outcomes, said Steven Woolf, MD, MPH, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. But health equity also includes large gaps in health based on income, education and place of residence, he said.
Many right-wing communities that support the Trump administration’s push to eliminate programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion are affected by inequalities themselves, Woolf said.
“The sad thing is that many of the programs and research projects that were canceled as a result of the anti-DEI movement are actually cutting funding for services and research that would help them,” Woolf said. The health of the nation. “They are struggling to make ends meet. They may live in communities, especially if they are in rural farming or ranching communities, where access to care is very poor. They suffer from inequalities.”
The survey shows that people who experience inequalities firsthand are more supportive of solutions that take their lived experiences into account, Guilamo-Ramos said.
“That’s critical, because sometimes some identity issues have been a bit of a lightning rod and what’s true is that minority and marginalized groups are the ones most likely to suffer from inequality,” Guilamo-Ramos said. “What’s also true is that it could happen to other groups. And if it has happened to you, regardless of which group you belong to, you want to be seen and you want a solution.”
These surveys help reiterate the narrative that all Americans want the same thing, said Angelica Hardee, PhD, MCHES, health equity leader and chair-elect of APHA’s Community Health Planning and Policy Development Section. The need for preventive care has also not changed: 81% of participants surveyed said the health system should prioritize keeping people healthy and preventing disease.
“We’re not going to stop focusing on disease prevention,” Hardee said. The Health of the Nation. “We’re not going to stop trying to implement policies that help us as a population as a whole. So I think it’s a great reminder to keep going.”
The survey is part of the institute’s Bridging our Divide campaign, which aims to share evidence that counters anti-equity messages, convene partners who promote the elimination of inequalities, and demonstrate why achieving health equity is important for everyone and not specific groups. A series of meetings with health experts, thought leaders and more are planned over the next few years to discuss eliminating disparities in major public health issues, such as behavioral health and substance use.
More information on the National Health Inequalities Survey 2025.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
