Definition
Health Equity
Health equity is the state in which every person has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health, which requires removing avoidable, unjust differences in health and access to care between population groups.
2 min readReviewed September 14, 2026
Also known as: Health inequity, Health disparities, Equity in health care
What is health equity?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines health equity as the attainment of the highest level of health for all people. Reaching it requires ongoing efforts to address avoidable inequalities and to eliminate health and health care disparities.
Health equity is a goal, not a single metric. It is usually assessed by measuring gaps in outcomes, access or quality between groups defined by race and ethnicity, income, geography, disability, language, sex or other characteristics.
Health equity vs equality vs disparities
These related terms are often mixed up:
- Health disparity: a measurable difference in health or health care between groups, such as higher infant mortality in one population.
- Health equality: giving every person the same resources, regardless of need.
- Health equity: giving people what they need to reach the same opportunity for health, which can mean more resources for groups facing greater barriers.
How health equity is measured
Analysts typically stratify existing measures rather than create new ones. Common approaches include breaking quality and outcome measures down by demographic group, comparing access indicators such as Health Professional Shortage Area status or insurance coverage across communities, and adjusting for neighborhood disadvantage with indexes such as the Area Deprivation Index. Results depend heavily on data completeness, since race, ethnicity and language fields are often missing in claims data.
Why health equity matters
Differences between groups affect market sizing, trial diversity, network design and quality performance. Trial sponsors use equity analysis to plan enrollment that reflects the patients who will use a therapy. Payers and providers track gaps in quality measures because they affect outcomes and, in some programs, payment.
Federal policy on health equity has shifted. Since 2025, several HHS programs have removed or renamed equity-focused measures and payment adjustments introduced in earlier years. Before assuming a program includes an equity component, check its current rules.