Best and worst states for healthcare
Massachusetts is the best state in the nation for healthcare in 2021, according to new rankings from WalletHub.
The state came first in access to healthcare and outcomes, according to WalletHub, which compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 44 measures of cost, accessibility and outcomes.
The findings underscore the variety of healthcare quality across the U.S. Americans can receive either the best or worst healthcare in the nation depending on where they live.
Here are the top 10 best states for healthcare:
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Minnesota
- Hawaii
- Maryland
- Vermont
- Colorado
- Iowa
- Connecticut
- South Dakota
Several of the best states also had the lowest average monthly insurance premium. Utah had the lowest cost, followed by Idaho, Massachusetts, Maryland and Minnesota. However, Vermont was tied with Wyoming for the most expensive insurance premiums on average.
Massachusetts had the highest insurance rate for adults 19 to 64, while Texas had the lowest rate.
Here are the bottom 10 states for healthcare:
- Missouri
- Nevada
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
- Oklahoma
- North Carolina
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
- Alabama
The scoring also highlights the ongoing debate on Medicare for All, which would improve healthcare inequalities.
“Medicare for All is a much more equitable and efficient way to pay for healthcare,” Allison Hoffman, JD, of Penn Law School told WalletHub. “It is a political longshot because of entrenched industry interests who have a strong influence over the political process and because of a dysfunctional legislative atmosphere in Washington, D.C.”
See the full rankings here.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."