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Why Do Health Disparities Exist?

Kayden McKay·Sep 9, 2026

Introduction

Your health is personal, but how healthy you can be is often determined by factors far beyond your control. We often describe health as a human right, something every individual should have fair and timely access to. However, if this was truly the case, why can't millions of people afford their appointments, find a doctor nearby, or feel safe around a physician? Healthcare disparities are unfair, often avoidable differences in how people get and experience healthcare. These disparities can be affected by someone's race, gender, income, geographic location and the environment someone lives in. While these factors may look like simple words on a screen, they represent very real barriers that can determine if someone receives the quality of care they need. In medical environments, these barriers can have life-threatening consequences. Imagine if the difference between receiving timely treatment and facing a life-threatening condition was simply where you lived, or whether you could afford to see a doctor about a headache that had persisted for months. For millions of people, the cost of healthcare can turn something as necessary as a doctor's visit into a difficult decision. Socioeconomic status is one of the factors that can determine whether that decision is even possible.

Socioeconomic Status

Money can determine not only what someone can buy, but if they can afford health. Socioeconomic status (SES), defined by the APA Dictionary of Psychology, doesn't just include someone's income, but also their level of educational attainment, occupational prestige and subjective perceptions of social status and class. Someone's SES can be used to generally describe the quality-of-life attributes and available opportunities provided to people within that distinct portion of society. According to an NIH study, people of lower SES are more likely to suffer from more chronic conditions, worse self-reported health and life expectancy when compared with those of higher SES. The study continues to describe that physicians, when treating patients with lower SES, are less likely to perceive them as intelligent, independent, responsible or even rational. Physician perceptions can very well impact their clinical decisions, and can impact the quality of treatment a patient receives. Why is it that the amount of money that you earn can influence whether a doctor believes you're even worth the time to treat? People with lower incomes may face barriers such as high insurance costs, expensive medications and transportation costs. The barrier of income can also affect whether someone prioritizes a doctor visit. Whether someone has a regular doctor, can take time off work for an appointment or afford follow-up care is all determined by the amount of money someone does or doesn't have to spend on these things. This creates a difficult cycle: someone may delay care because they cannot afford it, their condition worsens and they may eventually need more expensive treatment. Healthcare should not become a luxury simply because someone has less money. Access to proper treatment should be something everyone can expect, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Geographic Location

Where you live can determine how far you have to travel to receive healthcare, how many providers are available to you, and even what types of medical care you can access. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), about 20% of the U.S population lives in a federally-declared Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). This means the patient-to-physician ratio is at least 1 for every 3,000 residents. In March 2026, it was determined that 62% of these areas were rural, affecting more than 28 million people. Because a majority of rural areas experience this physician shortage, this may prevent citizens from getting timely and thorough healthcare examinations. And for the people who decide to travel further into the city, receiving healthcare may require traveling long distances to find an available doctor or specialist. A routine appointment can become significantly more difficult when someone has to intricately arrange transportation or travel to another city or county. Now imagine how serious these geographic barriers can become when someone needs specialized or emergency treatment that may not be available nearby. Geographic barriers can therefore turn something as simple as where someone lives into a factor that determines how quickly they receive care. Where someone lives should never determine when, where and how they receive healthcare.

Racial, Age, Gender and Sexual Orientation (RAGS) Discrimination

Healthcare is supposed to treat the person, not the assumptions that come with their identity. Yet race, age, gender and sexuality can influence how patients are treated, listened to and taken seriously. RAGS discrimination is the unfair, adverse or prejudicial treatment of individuals based on the previously defined characteristics. While categorization can be necessary for healthcare to connect patients with the specific doctors or treatments they require, discrimination occurs when certain groups are viewed as less deserving of attention, respect or quality care than others. These biases can affect healthcare in ways that are not always obvious. A patient's concerns may be dismissed, their symptoms may be interpreted differently, or pain may be taken less seriously because of assumptions associated with their identity. When a patient feels unheard or dismissed, they may become less likely to seek care in the future. A 2020 study published in JAMA Network Open surveyed 2,137 U.S. adults about their experiences of discrimination within the healthcare system. Of those respondents, 21.4% reported experiencing discrimination, and 72% of those who experienced it reported that it had happened more than once. Racial and ethnic discrimination was the most commonly reported type. These findings suggest that discrimination in healthcare is not an isolated experience, but a recurring problem that can affect how patients experience and interact with the healthcare system. Repeated experiences with discrimination can decrease patients' trust in physicians and medical institutions. This can contribute to delayed and avoided healthcare, which can further the complications that someone may be experiencing.

Conclusion

Sometimes the biggest barrier to healthcare isn't whether a doctor exists or whether an appointment is technically available. It's whether someone feels safe enough to seek care in the first place. People's experiences with healthcare can shape how much they trust doctors and medical institutions. Someone who has previously felt ignored, judged, discrimination against, or financially overwhelmed may hesitate to return, even when they know they need help. Research has linked experiences of discrimination with lower trust in the healthcare system. This hesitation is completely understandable! If every previous experience has taught someone that their concerns won't be taken seriously, telling them to simply "go to the doctor" ignores the very reasons they stopped going in the first place. Health equity isn't making healthcare available to all. It's about making people feel that healthcare is accessible, trustworthy, respectful and truly meant for them.

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