Affordable health care is essential to public health and equity. However, access methods vary widely across the country.
The United States is the only wealthy country in the world without a well-developed universal health care system. But as Newsweek reveals in the map below, some states fare worse than others when it comes to access to affordable health care.
“Accessing affordable health care is a challenge for many Americans across the country,” Zoe Galarraga, senior digital PR manager at Forbes Advisor, the group that led the study, told Newsweek. spoke.
“A recent study by Gallup and West Health found that only 55 percent of American adults have access to and can afford quality health care when they need it.
“Additionally, more than 100 million Americans (nearly one-third of the population) lack regular primary care, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers.”
To examine these disparities, Forbes Advisor surveyed 50 Americans across 14 key health indicators, including the number of hospital beds, the relative number of doctors, nurses, and community health centers, and the percentage of residents without health insurance. compared states. Each state was given a score based on these indicators.
“Our most important metrics address barriers to access to primary care, such as the number of hospital beds per 1,000 residents and the number of primary care physicians, specialists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants per 10,000 residents. We will look into it,” Galarraga said.
The results can be viewed on the map below.
This analysis revealed that the following 10 states have the least accessible health care facilities in the United States.
Which indicators were considered in the analysis?
Number of hospital beds per 1,000 residents Number of family physicians per 10,000 residents Number of specialists per 10,000 residents Number of nurses per 10,000 residents Number of physician assistants per 10,000 residents Primary care provider shortage Percentage of residents with no health insurance No. of communities No. of health centers per 100,000 residents No. of employees with single coverage under employer-provided health insurance Average Annual Health Insurance Premium Percentage of Annual Health Insurance Premiums for Employees with Single Coverage by EmployerAverage Annual Deductible for Employees with Single Coverage in Employer-Provided Health Insurance Average annual deductible for employees with single coverage under insurance Percentage cost for residents who choose not to pay premiums See a doctor at any point in the previous 12 months Number of critical care physicians per 10,000 adults Number of critical care nurses and CRNAs per 10,000 adults
Utah Nevada Texas Arizona Georgia South Carolina Indiana Wyoming Idaho North Carolina
So what is causing this disparity? “Access to health care may be more difficult in some states due to high costs, lack of health insurance coverage, and shortages of health care workers,” Galarraga said. “This report shines a light on the states that face the greatest barriers to accessing health care.”
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Utah tops this list due to a lack of resources such as qualified medical professionals and hospital beds. Utah employers pay the second lowest percentage of their employees' annual health insurance premiums.
Nevada, which ranks second, has the lowest number of primary care physicians, and Texas, which ranks third, has the highest proportion of residents without health insurance. It is also the area with the highest percentage of residents who cannot afford to see a doctor.
Galarraga added that five Western states are among the top 10 states with the worst access to health care, based on previous research that revealed the best (and worst) states for health care in a 2023 Forbes Advisor report. He added that he was not surprised to be ranked in the .
So what needs to be done to smooth out these health disparities? “According to the Department of Health and Human Services, digital solutions such as telemedicine can help reduce transportation-related barriers and make services available in languages other than English.” “We can improve access to primary care by expanding our capacity to provide it,” Galarraga said.
“Having the best health insurance coverage can increase access to needed care and also reduce health care costs. , are less likely to have access to preventive and testing services in a timely manner, and are less likely to have a primary care provider.”
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