The American health care system underperforms for people of color, even in "blue" states that have traditionally scored better in this area, a new report has found.

The study, "Advancing Racial Equity in U.S. Health Care: The Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report," is part of a decades-long effort to track health disparities. It takes a close look at how health care systems perform in every state, focusing on disparities in health care across racial and ethnic groups. Its findings echo what has been found repeatedly in this country: the U.S. has "deep-seated racial and ethnic disparities," which persist in the areas of access, quality, and outcomes. In addition, there is a stark racial divide in premature deaths.

"Even in states that have historically performed well in Commonwealth Fund state rankings, racial and ethnic health disparities can be dramatic. For example, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Connecticut stand out for their relatively high performance for all racial and ethnic groups, yet these states have considerable health disparities between white and nonwhite residents," the study said.