Re: OT : Health
America's health is failing. And no one likely knows that better than those in Louisiana.
It lands at the bottom of a list measuring the health of the nation's 50 states. Joining it at the bottom are Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Vermont was crowned the healthiest state for the second consecutive year. Hawaii, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Utah round out the top five, according to a study published Dec. 3.
Behind the numbers
The report, America's Health Rankings, compiled and analyzed 22 health measures, both determinants and outcomes. The study is a collaboration between United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention. Data for the study was provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Center for Education Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Environmental Protection Agency, American Medical Association, Dartmouth Atlas Project and Trust for America's Health.
In Pictures: America's Healthiest States
It focuses on four key areas: personal behaviors, community and environment, public and health policy, and clinical care. It is meant to highlight the successes and failures of each state and the nation so Americans can live longer, healthier lives.
Northern exposure
Residents of Vermont have a pretty good shot at that.
"Vermont ranks higher for health determinants than for health outcomes, indicating that overall healthiness should remain high over time," the study says.
Vermont isn't perfect though; the state has a high rate of binge drinking at 21.9 percent, and a low immunization rate for children 19 to 35 months old at 79.8 percent.
"The ranking reflects investments the state has made in health care delivery. We will continue to improve access and quality, and hopefully impact the cost by doing the right thing," says Wendy Davis, Vermont's commissioner of health. "Our Blueprint for Health program puts the responsibility on communities and individuals to build a better system."
Below par
Louisiana has a low binge-drinking rate at 13.3 percent, and saw an increase in the state's public health spending this year to $95 per person, up from $69 per person, but the throngs of uninsured (20.2 percent) and the high rate of preventable hospitalizations (111.9 discharges per 1,000 Medicare enrollees) drag it down.
Alan Levine, Louisiana secretary of health and hospitals, acknowledges that the state finishes near the bottom in many health care studies.
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Levine remains optimistic that conditions in the state will improve. He hopes a new teaching hospital in New Orleans will help increase access to health care.
But poor health isn't limited to the country's southernmost states. America's health overall failed to improve for the fourth year in a row. Four years of stagnation stands in contrast to the 1990s when Americans' health climbed at an average rate of 1.5 percent. Obesity is one culprit. It has skyrocketed 127 percent since the 1990s, from 11.6 percent of the population to 26.3 percent, according to the study. Obesity increases the risk for diseases such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.
Worrisome still, is the growing number of uninsured Americans. Today, 45.7 million Americans are uninsured, an increase of 16 percent over 1990 levels.
When expanded internationally, the outlook becomes even grimmer. American's life expectancy of 69 years lags behind 27 other developed nations. Not surprisingly, Japan remains the leader at 75 years.
The healthiest states:
- Vermont
- Hawaii
- New Hampshire
- Minnesota
- Utah
Go to Forbes.com for an in-depth look at
the top 10 and
the bottom 10 >>
