Report: R.I. 22nd best health care in nation

RHODE ISLAND ranked 22nd best in the nation for health care, but lowest among the New England states, WalletHub reported. / COURTESY WALLETHUB
RHODE ISLAND ranked 22nd best in the nation for health care, but lowest among the New England states, WalletHub reported. / COURTESY WALLETHUB

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranked 22nd best in the nation for health care, but lowest among the New England states, according to WalletHub’s latest survey released Tuesday.
The Ocean State performed best on the subcategory of health outcomes, rising to eighth highest in the nation – this includes factors such as infant, child and maternal mortality rate, as well as cancer and heart disease rates. Rhode Island had the fifth-lowest infant mortality rate in the nation, while Massachusetts was third; New Hampshire, second; and California, first.
Rhode Island fell to 43rd, however, in the health care costs subcategory.
Rhode Island also was singled out for having the fifth-most physicians per capita, but it was fifth for having the lowest percentage of medical residents retained.
It performed well in the subcategories of fewest percentage of at-risk adults without a routine doctor visit in the past two years, tying for fourth highest with South Dakota, and in lowest percentage of adults without a dental visit in the past year, tying for fourth highest with Vermont.
Minnesota, Maryland and South Dakota were the top three states for health care, while Alaska ranked as the worst, preceded by Louisiana and Mississippi.
Vermont ranked the highest among the New England states, coming in eighth.
The financial services website said it compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 29 key metrics ranging from “average monthly insurance premium” to “number of physicians per capita” to “percentage of adults and children with health-insurance coverage” to determine the most cost-effective and high-quality care.

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