Home Economy R.I. third-best state for children’s health care, WalletHub says

R.I. third-best state for children’s health care, WalletHub says

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PBN Staff

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04/12/2024

hasbro (1) — RHODE ISLAND is the third-best state in the U.S. for children’s health care, according to a study by WalletHub./ COURTESY HASBRO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

PROVIDENCE – For the second straight year, Rhode Island ranks third in the U.S. for children’s health care, according to a study by WalletHub. The personal finance website, based in Washington, D.C., ranked states across three key dimensions: kids’ health and access to health care, kids’ nutrition, physical activity and obesity and kids’ oral health.

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PROVIDENCE – For the second straight year, Rhode Island ranks third in the U.S. for children’s health care, according to a study by WalletHub. The personal finance website, based in Washington, D.C., ranked states across three key dimensions: kids’ health and access to health care, kids’ nutrition, physical activity and obesity and kids’ oral health. Each of those categories used 33 relevant metrics, which were graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the best health care for children. Each state and the District of Columbia’s weighted average across all metrics were used to determine and calculate its overall score and rank order. The data showed Rhode island ranked second for kids’ health and access to health care, 24th for kids’ nutrition, physical activity and obesity and 20th for kids’ oral health. The study also found Rhode Island ranked second for percentage of children with unaffordable medical bills, fifth for percentage of uninsured children, second-highest number of children’s hospitals per capita and the seventh-lowest out-of-pocket costs for children’s health care. “Rhode Island has one of the lowest death rates for children under age 14, and one major contributing factor to that statistic is the fact that parents vaccinate their children at high rates,” the study concluded. “Nearly 92% of children 19-35 months old have the combined 7-vaccine series, which protects against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliovirus, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis b, Haemophilus influenzae type b, varicella and pneumococcal infections, according to the CDC.” Massachusetts is the best state in the nation for children’s health care, according to the study. The Bay State ranked third for kids’ health and access to health care, second for kids’ nutrition, physical activity and obesity and 19th for kids’ oral health. Also the study found only 1.5% of children in Massachusetts lack health insurance, the lowest uninsured rate of any state. Massachusetts also has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the country and one of the lowest death rates for children ages 14 and younger. In addition, children in Massachusetts drink soda at a lower rate than in any other state, which contributes to their health, especially their dental health, according to the study. Another New England state, Vermont, is second best in the nation, according to the study, followed by New Jersey and Hawaii. Across the rest of New England, Connecticut was 10th, New Hampshire was 21st and Maine was 45th. Mississippi is the worst state in the nation for children’s health care, according to WalletHub. That state ranked 51st for kids’ health and access to health care, 50th for kids’ nutrition, physical activity and obesity and 30th for kids’ oral health. Wyoming, Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska round out the bottom five. The full report can be found here.