Four in 10 adults with a disability reported experiencing unfair healthcare treatment, an Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report found.
Researchers used December 2022 data from a nationally representative survey of adults ages 18 to 64 to examine rates at which adults with and without disabilities reported they were treated or judged unfairly in the past year at physicians' offices, clinics or hospitals; at work; and when applying for public benefits.
Here are three key findings:
- Of patients who experienced unfair treatment, 71% said there was a subsequent disruption in care.
- Of those disruptions, 54% of those patients delayed, 50% forwent needed care and 31% did not follow clinician recommendations.
- Black and Hispanic adults with disabilities were more likely to report unfair treatment based on race, ethnicity, country or primary language compared with White adults.
"These findings show that experiences of unfair treatment were common among people with disabilities — causing disruptions in healthcare and employment, and delays in accessing public benefits to help them meet their basic needs," Dulce Gonzalez, an Urban Institute research associate, said in an Oct. 11 organization news release. "Addressing the structural barriers and biases that undermine the health and well-being of disabled people will require intentional and sustained public and private sector responses developed in partnership with people with disabilities."