Arizona health care system ranked among nation’s worst
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Arizona’s healthcare system ranked third-worst in the nation, according to a 24/7 Wall St. Index considering six health measures for each state.
Arizona’s poor health care system was problematic during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic as hospitals were forced to bring in nurses from outside of the state, as many others did.
The index accounted for the share of residents without health insurance, state health care and hospital spending per capita, adults in poor or fair health, the number of hospital beds, and employee premium contribution.
In Arizona, 11.3% of residents are uninsured, according to the U.S Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey. This is the 9th highest uninsured rate in the nation. Arizona went from a 10.6% uninsured rate in 2018 to 11.3% in 2019 according to census data, numbers not reflecting the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of uninsured Arizonans has increased since the sharp drop in 2014 with the expansion of eligibility for coverage under the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 State and Local Finance data, health care spending in 2019 was $81 per capita, the third-lowest in the nation.
Eighteen point six percent of Arizonans are in fair or poor health, the fourteenth highest in the nation, according to the 2021 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps.
There were 1.9 hospital beds per 1,000 people, the 10th fewest, based on Becker’s Hospital Review rankings published in March 2020.
The employee single coverage premium contribution was $127 a month, the 12th highest in the nation from the Commonwealth Fund in December 2018.
There are only 65.7 doctors per 100,000 Arizonans, the ninth-lowest concentration in the nation, according to 24/7 Wall St. data. The national ratio of doctors to residents is 75.8 to 100,000.
The two states ranked above Arizona for worst health care were Texas and Georgia.
This article was originally posted on Arizona health care system ranked among nation’s worst
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