Healthcare discrimination leads many Minnesotans to delay or avoid care
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A 2024 survey found that nearly half of the participants experienced discrimination when accessing healthcare services. Consequently, one in three individuals chose to forgo necessary care.
In June, the Minnesota Department of Health’s Health Economics Program published findings from this survey regarding patient experiences with discrimination in healthcare settings.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, experiencing discrimination in a healthcare environment can undermine trust in the system, causing patients to avoid care or delay treatment.
Healthcare discrimination occurs when a patient feels unfairly judged or treated disrespectfully by healthcare professionals. This discrimination can arise from various factors, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration status, or the type of health insurance a person has.
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20 percent of survey respondents stated that the main reasons they experienced discrimination were related to age and body weight.
Different population groups experienced various types of discrimination. Among them, Black, Indigenous, and people of color were the most likely to report race-based discrimination, with 17 percent citing this experience.
Transgender and nonbinary individuals reported experiencing discrimination related to gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation at a rate of 72 percent.
A significant majority of survey respondents who experienced discrimination, totaling 86.3 percent, felt that their experiences led to negative health outcomes. 95 percent of participants said it affected their mental health. One-third of participants who faced discrimination in a healthcare setting reported that it led them to discontinue their care prematurely, and 33 percent said they avoided seeking healthcare altogether, except in emergencies.
Among all participants who reported experiencing discrimination, 60 percent indicated that it happened to them more than once, while approximately 20 percent reported experiencing it four or more times. Repeated experiences of discrimination were particularly prevalent among non-elderly adult Minnesotans with public health coverage, as well as among transgender, nonbinary, and Indigenous Minnesotans.
Almost all survey participants who reported discrimination had reduced confidence in their healthcare provider’s management of their care and diminished trust in the provider's intentions.
Participants proposed several changes to the healthcare system to improve patient experiences. They suggested simplifying the feedback process for reporting unfair treatment and emphasized the need for more affordable and accessible healthcare to eliminate barriers to care.
They also identified expanding access to mental healthcare as essential for addressing discrimination’s effects. Survey respondents noted that providers should dedicate more time to caring for patients and listen attentively to their needs in order to reduce or eliminate discrimination.
The Minnesota Health Access Survey is a comprehensive population survey conducted every two years in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health, the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and the State Health Access Data Assistance Center. This survey explores how Minnesota residents access health insurance and healthcare services. The findings help shape policies to improve healthcare access and health insurance coverage for all Minnesotans. In the 2024 study, over 16,000 households from across the state participated.
