Health care in America is a hot topic no matter where you live, but a study by MoneyRates.com found there are sharp divisions from state to state.
In its second-annual health care study, MoneyRates.com analyzed eight factors based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kaiser Family Foundation. Those factors are: health insurance coverage, self-reported health status, child immunization coverage, infant mortality rates, adequacy of nursing home staffing, adequacy of medical office staffing, hospital affordability and health insurance affordability. Based on an average ranking of the criteria, here are the top 10 worst states for health care:
10. Mississippi (tie)
Despite a high score in child immunization and some of the lowest hospitalization and health insurance costs in the nation, Mississippi landed in the bottom 10 due to low scores in health insurance coverage and infant survival rates; the state ranked last in reported health status.
10. West Virginia (tie)
With high scores in hospitalization expenses and health insurance costs, West Virginia could not escape the bottom 10. The state had some of the lowest scores health insurance coverage, self-reported health status, infant survival rates and adequacy of doctor’s office staffing.
9. North Carolina
The biggest healthcare issues in North Carolina were a bottom-10 ranking for healthcare insurance coverage and infant survival rate. The state also scored fairly low in child immunization coverage. It received high marks for hospitalization expenses and annual healthcare costs.
8. Texas
This state has the highest percentage of residents without health insurance. It was also in the bottom 10 for reported health status and child immunization. It scored high in infant survival rates and annual healthcare costs.
7. Idaho
Besides ranking last in per-capital doctors' office staff, Idaho also finished in the bottom 10 for health insurance coverage, nursing care staffing and hospitalization cost. But the state ranks among the top 10 for cheapest average health insurance premiums. It also scored high for reported health status.
6. Arizona
The state had bottom-10 rankings for health insurance coverage, child immunization and nursing care staffing. That more than offset a top-10 ranking for health insurance affordability. It also scored high for annual healthcare premiums and infant survival rates.
5. Georgia
Although Georgia is one of the cheapest states for hospitalization, it ranked last for child immunization and ended up in the bottom 10 for health insurance coverage and infant mortality. It also had fairly high scores for doctors’ office staffing.
4. Oklahoma
The state has five bottom-10 standings: health insurance coverage, reported health status, child immunization, infant survival and doctors' office staffing. Its highest score was in hospitalization expenses, and it also had a good showing for nursing home staffing and healthcare premium affordability.
3. New Mexico
Healthcare staffing seems to be the big issue in New Mexico, which was near the bottom for adequacy of both nursing care and doctors' office staffing. The state was also in the bottom 10 for reported health status. It had a decent showing in child immunizations and healthcare premium affordability.
2. Alaska
The state had two last place finishes in nursing care staffing and health insurance affordability. It also scored poorly in health insurance coverage and hospitalization affordability. It had a decent showing in infant survival rates.
1. South Carolina
After just missing the bottom spot last year, South Carolina fell to last place in this year's survey due to bottom-10 rankings in child immunization, nursing care staffing and doctors' office staffing, and near-bottom 10 rankings in health insurance coverage, reported health status and infant mortality rates. Its highest score for hospitalization cost landed it in the top 20.
