MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Nearly Half of Minnesota Survey Participants Report Discrimination While Seeking Health Care

ST. PAUL, MN (July 13, 2026) Nearly half of the participants in a new Minnesota health care study reported experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment while seeking medical services, with many saying those encounters damaged their mental health, delayed care and weakened their trust in providers.

The Minnesota Department of Health report, released in July, examines findings from the 2024 Minnesota Healthcare Experiences Survey. Of the 2,025 adults who completed the follow-up survey, 47.2 percent reported experiencing discrimination from a health care provider or staff member.

The report defines health care discrimination broadly. It includes being judged unfairly, denied respect, prevented from receiving needed care or treated differently because of characteristics such as race, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, body weight, immigration status or insurance coverage.

The findings do not establish that 47.2 percent of every Minnesotan has experienced health care discrimination. State researchers caution that the survey panel was drawn from people who had participated in an earlier health-access survey and agreed to be contacted again. The sample also leaned toward more socially and economically advantaged respondents.

Although researchers weighted the results to better represent Minnesota adults, they said the sample size and composition limit how confidently the findings can be generalized to the entire state.

Even with that limitation, the responses provide a troubling picture of how unfair treatment can affect patients long after a medical appointment has ended.

Dismissal and Disrespect Were Common Experiences

More than six in 10 participants, 61.8 percent, reported having at least one negative health care experience. Examples included feeling dismissed, not being heard, having a provider make assumptions or leaving an appointment without a clear explanation of treatment.

Among participants who reported a negative encounter, 46.2 percent said a provider had dismissed their health concerns.

The percentage reporting negative experiences was especially high among some population groups. The report found that 77.2 percent of Indigenous participants and 93.9 percent of transgender and nonbinary participants reported negative health care experiences.

Among all participants, 47.2 percent said they had experienced unfair treatment or discrimination from a health care provider or staff member. That figure reached 83.2 percent among transgender and nonbinary participants.

Of those who reported discrimination, 60.3 percent said it happened more than once. Nearly 20 percent said they had experienced it at least four times.

More than half of the participants reporting discrimination said their most recent experience occurred within the previous two years.

Age and Body Weight Led Reported Reasons

Age was the most frequently reported basis for discrimination, cited by 20.7 percent of survey participants. Body weight or body shape followed at 20.2 percent.

The patterns varied substantially among different populations.

Among Black participants, race was the most frequently reported type of discrimination, at 18.9 percent. When Black, Indigenous and other participants of color were considered together, 17.8 percent cited race-based discrimination. Researchers cautioned that some subgroup estimates were based on relatively small samples and should be interpreted carefully.

Among transgender and nonbinary participants, 72.7 percent reported discrimination connected to gender, gender expression or sexual orientation. Another 62.8 percent cited disability or physical or mental health status.

Insurance coverage also played a role. Among working-age adults with public health insurance who reported discrimination, the most common cited basis was insurance type.

The report found that primary care providers were named most frequently in participants’ most recent discriminatory encounters. Researchers warned that this finding should not be interpreted as proof that primary care professionals discriminate more often than other providers. Patients generally interact with primary care clinicians more frequently, increasing the number of opportunities for both positive and negative encounters.

Discrimination Changed Whether People Sought Care

The consequences extended beyond dissatisfaction with a single appointment.

Among participants who experienced discrimination, 95 percent said the experience affected their mental health. About 69 percent reported feeling angry, while 65.1 percent felt worried or stressed.

Nearly half said the experience caused them to feel worse about themselves. One-fourth said they blamed themselves for the mistreatment, and 48.1 percent described discrimination as something they had come to accept as a fact of life.

The effects also changed how people used the health care system.

More than 86 percent believed the discrimination negatively affected their care. Nearly two-thirds switched providers or clinics, while 57.3 percent experienced delays in treatment.

Another 37.1 percent said they stopped care early. About one-third, 33.6 percent, said they began avoiding medical care except during emergencies.

Trust was also damaged. More than 90 percent said the experience harmed their relationship with their provider. Approximately 77 percent reported less confidence in the provider’s ability to manage their care, while 74.3 percent had less trust that the provider was acting in their best interest.

Patients Asked Providers to Listen

When asked what could improve the system, participants repeatedly returned to basic elements of patient care: listening, respect, time and accountability.

More than 96 percent said it would be helpful to make it easier for patients to provide feedback about unfair treatment. Nearly 91 percent supported making health care more affordable and accessible so mistreatment would be less likely to prevent someone from obtaining care.

Participants also supported expanded mental health services, stronger anti-discrimination policies and better enforcement of those policies.

Some respondents acknowledged that providers work under intense scheduling and administrative pressure. The report notes that short appointments and systemwide demands can make it difficult for clinicians to spend more time with each patient.

Researchers concluded, however, that Minnesota still has substantial work to do before patients of different races, ages, gender identities, body types, insurance categories and economic circumstances consistently receive care grounded in dignity and respect.

The study was produced by the Minnesota Department of Health’s Health Economics Program with analysis from the State Health Access Data Assistance Center at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

Source: Minnesota Department of Health Health Economics Program

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