Racial Wealth Inequality and Access to Care with High-Deductible Health Insurance.

This article discusses the relationship between racial wealth inequality and access to care with high-deductible health insurance (HDHP). The study focuses on the impact of this trend on Black consumers, who may face affordability barriers due to income constraints and historical wealth disparities. The findings suggest that Black enrollees in HDHPs are more likely to have lower incomes and fewer assets compared to White enrollees. However, the study does not establish a causal link between racial wealth inequality and affordability disparities. The analysis finds that racial disparities in access to care are greater among high-deductible plan holders, but the inclusion of economic covariates, such as income and wealth, reduces these disparities. The study suggests that income and wealth play a larger role in explaining racial disparities in access to care among high-deductible plan holders. [Extracted from the article]