As inflation continues to rise, many families struggle with other payments including house bills, credit card payments and medical care. But some states have worse health care than others. A new study by WalletHub revealed that Texas is the seventh worst state for health care.
Recent estimates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reveal that the average American expends a substantial $12,914 yearly on personal health care. Despite the high expenses associated with health care in the U.S., increased medical costs do not always equate to better outcomes. Research conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that the U.S. falls behind several other affluent nations in various aspects, including health coverage, life expectancy and disease burden, which gauges longevity and quality of life.
WalletHub conducted the analysis to assess the quality of health care in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. They considered 44 different measures, including cost, accessibility, and outcome, to determine where Americans experience the best and worst healthcare services.
The Lone Star state ranked 45 out of 51 when it came to the overall rank, but fared worse with cost (48) and access (49). Though, the state ranked slightly better at 35 with health care outcomes.
According to healthcare.gov, coverage can cost up to $702.77, and even more in cases of pre-existing conditions and other factors. In 2020, most families were paying an average of $9,311.
Local Profile previously reported that Texas also was ranked as the second worst state for children’s health care. Texas ranked 50th for access to health care, 45th for nutrition, physical activity and obesity and 39th for oral health. The state also has the most uninsured children in the U.S. and is third to last for the percentage of children with very good health.
The reason for health care cost, access and outcome worsting in the U.S. may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Kaiser, the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic was severe, with millions of cases reported worldwide. Among the countries affected, the U.S. stood out with one of the highest COVID-19 death rates globally, and this rate is expected to rise even more.
The data shows that from 1980 to 2020, the overall mortality rate for all causes of death in the U.S. fell about 19%, compared to a 43% decline in comparable countries. The U.S. also witnessed the highest increase in premature deaths due to the pandemic in 2020. The per capita premature excess death rate in the U.S. was over twice as high as the next closest peer country, the U.K.
