State policy and health disparities: an examination of the impact of state offices of minority health.

For over two decades, a concerted effort has been underway to tackle health disparities. State Offices of Minority Health (OMH) have led efforts in data collection, training, and policy development. Yet, little evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of these efforts. I address this dearth of knowledge by examining the impact of state Offices of Minority Health on Black infant mortality rates. I perform a longitudinal regression analysis controlling for political, economic, and policy variables. I find that state OMHs are associated with a decrease in Black infant mortality rates. Furthermore, when Medicaid spending is low, the implementation of a state OMH decreases Black infant mortality over time. As Medicaid spending increases, however, the effect diminishes. State OMHs and Medicaid are important tools to decrease Black infant mortality rates. States that invest relatively little in health care for the poor should consider increasing investments in their Offices of Minority Health.