Table 1.

Economic burden of health disparities in the United States.

	Impact
Combined costs of health inequalities and premature death	$1.24 trillion (USD)
Potential reduction in the indirect costs associated with illness and premature death if minority health inequalities were eliminated	$1 trillion (USD)
Potential reduction in direct medical care expenditures if minority health disparities were eliminated	$229.4 billion (USD)
Percent excess direct medical care expenditures for African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics that were due to health inequalities	30.6%

Source: LaViest T, Gaskin D, and Richard P; The Economic Burden of Health Inequalities in the United States, 2009. Findings of a Commissioned Report from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.