Equity and Disparities

Health equity refers to equality in health and healthcare, including health outcomes and access to health care, across different racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, gender, and socioeconomic groups. Health disparities exist where health and healthcare is different according to differences in populations. This topic covers the collection of information on minority health, health service planning on a geographic or demographic basis, language or cultural service requirements for health plans and healthcare providers, and laws that deal with disparities reduction.