Chronic diseases pose a significant problem in the United States resulting in substantial morbidity, mortality, disability, and cost. The CMS Office of Minority Health has designed an interactive map, the Mapping Medicare Disparities Tool, to identify areas of disparities between subgroups of Medicare beneficiaries (e.g., racial and ethnic groups) in health outcomes, utilization, and spending. It is an excellent starting point to understand and investigate geographic and racial and ethnic differences in health outcomes. This information may be used to inform policy decisions and to target populations and geographies for potential interventions.

If you have any questions, feedback or suggested enhancements from your experience using the Mapping Medicare Disparities Tool, please contact HealthEquityTA@cms.hhs.gov. We also invite you to share how you have used the Mapping Medicare Disparities Tool in your work.