August 31, 2021

Overcoming Barriers to Access Health Care The Challenges Facing Minorities and Immigrants in Washington State

Washington state’s BIPOC and immigrant communities face worse health outcomes and a lower standard of care compared to their white counterparts. Barriers to access, both at the individual and system levels, are the primary drivers for inadequate care and unmet needs. As a purchaser and regulator, Washington State and its agencies can exercise their authority to finance, implement, and oversee interventions to help reduce and/or eliminate systemic barriers that disproportionately affect minority and immigrant households.

In this report, Layla G. Booshehri (Associate Director of Center for Health Innovation and Policy Science) and Jerome Dugan (Faculty in Health Systems and Population Health & Adjunct Faculty at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance) examine what Washington State can do to reduce disparities in health care access experienced by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and immigrant communities.