Black and Latino patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans often lack access to doctors who share their racial or cultural backgrounds, a recent study shows. The research highlights a gap in representative care that could worsen health disparities for marginalized communities.
The study, led by researchers at Brown University, found that Medicare Advantage (MA) networks consistently include fewer Black and Hispanic physicians compared to white physicians. It also suggests that improving diversity in medical providers could build trust and improve outcomes in underserved populations.
The Brown Daily Herald first reported the findings.
On average, 51.1 percent of white physicians in a given MA enrollee’s county were included in the patient’s insurance network. By comparison, only 43.2 percent of Black physicians and 44 percent of Hispanic physicians were included. Around one in five Black and Hispanic beneficiaries had no in-network doctors of the same race or ethnicity at all.
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“Only about five percent of all the physicians in the country are Black and only about six percent of the physicians are Hispanic,” said Dr. Amal Trivedi, professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University, according to The Brown Daily Herald.
The study used 2019 network data from Ideon, a health data analytics firm, and 2022 self-reported physician demographics from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Researchers then compared those figures to assess how representative provider networks were across different racial groups.
Access to racially concordant doctors matters. Patients often feel more comfortable with physicians who share their background. “It creates a comfortable environment,” said Favour Akpokiere, vice president of the Black Pre-Med Society at Brown, as reported by The Brown Daily Herald.
Students say the lack of representation can feed into a wider distrust in the healthcare system, especially given the history of medical abuse against Black Americans. “The United States has historically had a lot of (cases) that would rightfully spark distrust in marginalized communities,” Akpokiere said, referencing the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.
Dr. Odinaka Anyanwu, assistant professor of family medicine and assistant program director of the Global Health Fellowship at Brown, warned that this trend could continue unless changes are made. “Without addressing these barriers, we risk stagnation or decline in future generations of Black and Hispanic doctors,” he told The Brown Daily Herald. “This lack of representation will directly harm healthcare outcomes in these communities and worsen existing disparities.”
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The issue is not only about who provides care, but also about who participates in developing it.
As previously reported by BDO, a separate report from Medable, Inc. and the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development’s PACT Consortium found that decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) may help improve diversity in medical research.
These trials use video conferencing, apps, and wearable tech to reduce the need for in-person visits, making participation easier for people in underserved areas.
The data shows some gains: Asian patient participation rose from 14.2 to 20.9 percent in DCTs, and American Indian or Alaska Native enrollment increased nearly fourfold. Female participation also jumped from 49 to 55.7 percent.
But Black patient participation barely changed, rising only to 7.3 percent in DCTs—still far below their share of the U.S. population.
The lack of visibility and access for minority patients can also discourage future providers. “Now more than ever, we must push for increased diversity in the medical field,” Mikhaila Doyle, co-president of the Black Pre-Med Society, told The Brown Daily Herald. “Lives depend on it.”
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