10 best and worst states for healthcare based on cost and quality, as ranked by WalletHub
The overall health of the population, more advanced medical equipment and a general lack of awareness all affect costs.
Vermont topped the list with a score of 66.31.
Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that 88.1 percent of the population has a regular place to go for medical care. But the cost and service quality of that care can vary widely from state to state, and Wallethub has sought to quantify that, ranking each state based on cost, access and outcomes.
New England states tend to rank highly on the list. Seven southern states ranked in the bottom 10.
Vermont topped the list with a score of 66.31 -- an aggregate score taking into account the three criteria of cost, access and outcomes. Massachusetts, home of several prestigious hospitals, ranked second, and New Hampshire ranked third, with scores of 55.31 and 64.03, respectively.
Rounding out the top 10 are Minnesota, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Colorado, Washington D.C., Iowa and Maryland. Connecticut and Maine, at 11 and 12, respectively, were the only New England states outside of the top 10.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Louisiana, which placed last with an aggregate score of 41.14. It ranked 49th in outcomes and 48th in cost. The rest of the bottom 10, in order from the lowest, are Mississippi, Alaska, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
The overall health of the population, more advanced medical equipment and a general lack of awareness regarding the best types of treatment can all affect costs, the analysis showed. Today, the average American spends more than $10,000 per year on personal healthcare, based on the most recent estimates from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That's about 17.9 percent of the U.S. GDP.
But higher costs don't necessarily translate to better results. According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the U.S. lags behind several other wealthy nations on several measures, such as health coverage, life expectancy and disease burden, which measures longevity and quality of life.
Access has improved, but as the ranking show, conditions are not uniform.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
