The recent kidnapping of four Americans in Mexico highlights a common practice for many people in the U.S.: traveling to other countries for medical care that either is not available at home or costs a lot less.
The four were abducted — leading to the deaths of two — during a trip to Mexico that one relative said was for cosmetic surgery.
People leave the U.S. for dental procedures, plastic surgery, cancer treatments and prescription drugs, experts say. Besides Mexico, other common destinations include Canada, India and Thailand.
Here’s a closer look at the practice.
MEDICAL TOURISM GROWING
Medical tourism has been growing in popularity for years, according to Lydia Gan, an economist at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke who studies the practice.
This travel is popular with people who have no health insurance or plans that make them pay thousands of dollars before coverage begins.
Big employers also sometimes send people covered by their insurance to other countries for hip or knee replacements or bariatric surgery. Some also send people to Mexico for expensive prescription drugs.
Cost is a huge factor. Care in countries like Mexico can be more than 50% cheaper than it is in the United States, according to Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the non-profit Medical Tourism Association, an industry trade group.
And cosmetic surgeries, like tummy tucks that cost thousands of dollars, are largely uncovered by U.S. health insurers.
Patients also sometimes travel because they can get quicker access to some care outside the U.S. They also may want to seek treatment from a doctor who speaks their language or comes from the same culture.
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How does your diet affect the planet? Plus, protecting your kids from edibles, how to stop stress, and more health news
Chinnapong // Shutterstock
In the United States, mental health support is more accessible than ever thanks to the expansion of telemedicine. Still, a survey of almost 54,000 Americans found that more than 1 in 10 respondents don't receive the help they need. The barriers some people face in obtaining appropriate mental health care are overt—they're financial, geographic, and socioeconomic. For others, their barriers are invisible, burdened by stigma and discrimination.
Despite greater access to support, albeit unequal access, America is facing a mental health crisis. Even in the best-case scenario, in which every American who needs support seeks it out, the U.S. health care system is overburned, understaffed, and unable to meet that demand.
While the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased clinical depression and anxiety among Americans, reported cases and related symptoms decreased from peak pandemic levels as lockdowns and other restrictions eased. Those continuing to suffer from a lack of support today are historically marginalized communities like LGBTQ+ people and rural communities, or segments of the population assumed not to be at risk of mental illness, including young adults and children.
In December 2021, the U.S. surgeon general issued a public health advisory to specifically address the youth mental health crisis, citing a 40% increase in feelings of sadness and hopelessness among adolescents over the last decade. In 2022, the Preventive Service Task Force—an independent, volunteer panel of medical experts—recommended screening all children between the ages of 8-18 for anxiety. Nearly 8% of children and adolescents between the ages of 3 and 17 presented with an anxiety disorder, according to the 2020 National Survey of Children's Health, released in 2021.
States of loneliness, anxiety, or hopelessness are, of course, not uniquely manifestations of youth. The World Health Organization found a 25% increase in anxiety and depression across the globe amid the restrictions brought on by the pandemic. A study conducted by insurance provider Cigna found that, post-pandemic, nearly 3 in 5 adult respondents (58%) actively experience loneliness; these findings are not far removed from the estimated 61% of adults that reported the same feelings before COVID-19's onset. Further research published in October 2021 in the Lancet suggests that depression now affects about 1 in every 3 American adults.
To find out more about how adult populations are being affected, Sana cited data from the Census Household Pulse Survey weighted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to examine trends in who reports receiving the mental health care they need. The data used in this story was collected between April and May 2022. Although more recent surveys are available, they have not yet been processed to consider weighted sample sizes.
Chinnapong // Shutterstock
In the United States, mental health support is more accessible than ever thanks to the expansion of telemedicine. Still, a survey of almost 54,000 Americans found that more than 1 in 10 respondents don't receive the help they need. The barriers some people face in obtaining appropriate mental health care are overt—they're financial, geographic, and socioeconomic. For others, their barriers are invisible, burdened by stigma and discrimination.
Despite greater access to support, albeit unequal access, America is facing a mental health crisis. Even in the best-case scenario, in which every American who needs support seeks it out, the U.S. health care system is overburned, understaffed, and unable to meet that demand.
While the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased clinical depression and anxiety among Americans, reported cases and related symptoms decreased from peak pandemic levels as lockdowns and other restrictions eased. Those continuing to suffer from a lack of support today are historically marginalized communities like LGBTQ+ people and rural communities, or segments of the population assumed not to be at risk of mental illness, including young adults and children.
In December 2021, the U.S. surgeon general issued a public health advisory to specifically address the youth mental health crisis, citing a 40% increase in feelings of sadness and hopelessness among adolescents over the last decade. In 2022, the Preventive Service Task Force—an independent, volunteer panel of medical experts—recommended screening all children between the ages of 8-18 for anxiety. Nearly 8% of children and adolescents between the ages of 3 and 17 presented with an anxiety disorder, according to the 2020 National Survey of Children's Health, released in 2021.
States of loneliness, anxiety, or hopelessness are, of course, not uniquely manifestations of youth. The World Health Organization found a 25% increase in anxiety and depression across the globe amid the restrictions brought on by the pandemic. A study conducted by insurance provider Cigna found that, post-pandemic, nearly 3 in 5 adult respondents (58%) actively experience loneliness; these findings are not far removed from the estimated 61% of adults that reported the same feelings before COVID-19's onset. Further research published in October 2021 in the Lancet suggests that depression now affects about 1 in every 3 American adults.
To find out more about how adult populations are being affected, Sana cited data from the Census Household Pulse Survey weighted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to examine trends in who reports receiving the mental health care they need. The data used in this story was collected between April and May 2022. Although more recent surveys are available, they have not yet been processed to consider weighted sample sizes.
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How does your diet affect the planet? Plus, protecting your kids from edibles, how to stop stress, and more health news
Sana
Although a significant portion of the U.S. population is not currently receiving the mental health care they require, there have been blips of progress in recent years. The percentage of people seeking treatment during the pandemic increased from 19.2% to 21.6%, according to the CDC. But this increase in sought-after treatment was likely not happening across all demographics. When viewed through a racial lens, discrepancies between mental health care needs and treatment received highlight the significant cultural barriers many Americans face.
A further dissection of Census Household Pulse Survey data found that a greater percentage of Black and Hispanic or Latino Americans needed therapy but did not receive it. Hispanic/Latino culture is a broad, diverse community comprised of many languages and origins; both language and economic disparity can be barriers to gaining treatment. Moreover, Hispanic/Latino individuals diagnosed with mental illness may face cultural stigma within their communities. Many in Black communities have reported that mental health, particularly mental illness, can be viewed as something that should be discussed and dealt with privately. One factor contributing to this is a distrust of the medical establishment as a whole, stemming, in part, from a longstanding history of misdiagnosis and preferential consideration afforded to white, generally more affluent, patients.
As for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the CHPS found that even though more of these individuals received treatment than did not, overall they represented less than half of those people seeking treatment in either the Black or Hispanic/Latino communities. AAPI is, like Hispanic/Latino, a very widespread designation. Social pressure and negative stigma are significant barriers for AAPI people to even seek therapy, let alone secure it.
Such attitudes among minority communities coalesce into even larger, more damaging stigmas that prevent people from getting the professional help they require. Finding a mental health professional who understands and can adapt treatment to one's culture can be limiting, if not impossible, for some people.
Sana
Although a significant portion of the U.S. population is not currently receiving the mental health care they require, there have been blips of progress in recent years. The percentage of people seeking treatment during the pandemic increased from 19.2% to 21.6%, according to the CDC. But this increase in sought-after treatment was likely not happening across all demographics. When viewed through a racial lens, discrepancies between mental health care needs and treatment received highlight the significant cultural barriers many Americans face.
A further dissection of Census Household Pulse Survey data found that a greater percentage of Black and Hispanic or Latino Americans needed therapy but did not receive it. Hispanic/Latino culture is a broad, diverse community comprised of many languages and origins; both language and economic disparity can be barriers to gaining treatment. Moreover, Hispanic/Latino individuals diagnosed with mental illness may face cultural stigma within their communities. Many in Black communities have reported that mental health, particularly mental illness, can be viewed as something that should be discussed and dealt with privately. One factor contributing to this is a distrust of the medical establishment as a whole, stemming, in part, from a longstanding history of misdiagnosis and preferential consideration afforded to white, generally more affluent, patients.
As for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the CHPS found that even though more of these individuals received treatment than did not, overall they represented less than half of those people seeking treatment in either the Black or Hispanic/Latino communities. AAPI is, like Hispanic/Latino, a very widespread designation. Social pressure and negative stigma are significant barriers for AAPI people to even seek therapy, let alone secure it.
Such attitudes among minority communities coalesce into even larger, more damaging stigmas that prevent people from getting the professional help they require. Finding a mental health professional who understands and can adapt treatment to one's culture can be limiting, if not impossible, for some people.
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How does your diet affect the planet? Plus, protecting your kids from edibles, how to stop stress, and more health news
Sana
The U.S. is contending with a shortage of mental health care professionals. More than 3 in 4 U.S. counties don't have a mental health care provider, and patients face wait times of weeks or even months. Western and Southern states are among those with the greatest number of health care professional shortage areas, which are designated based on the number of mental health professionals relative to the population. To be considered a mental health care shortage area, the population-to-provider ratio must be at least 30,000 to 1 or 20,000 to 1 in high-needs communities. More than 4 in 5 rural counties in the U.S. lack adequate mental health care service compared to 36% of more populated metropolitan regions.
Sana
The U.S. is contending with a shortage of mental health care professionals. More than 3 in 4 U.S. counties don't have a mental health care provider, and patients face wait times of weeks or even months. Western and Southern states are among those with the greatest number of health care professional shortage areas, which are designated based on the number of mental health professionals relative to the population. To be considered a mental health care shortage area, the population-to-provider ratio must be at least 30,000 to 1 or 20,000 to 1 in high-needs communities. More than 4 in 5 rural counties in the U.S. lack adequate mental health care service compared to 36% of more populated metropolitan regions.
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How does your diet affect the planet? Plus, protecting your kids from edibles, how to stop stress, and more health news
Sana
LGBTQ+ people report discrimination as a primary reason for not seeking necessary mental and physical health care. Reports of discrimination and its adverse effects are often highest among transgender individuals.
Three in 5 transgender people report facing discrimination in their personal or professional lives—about twice the rate of the whole surveyed LGBTQ population—according to a 2020 study from the Center for American Progress. While 15% of LGBTQ+ people reported postponing medical care, including mental health care, to avoid discrimination, transgender Americans postpone at twice that rate. LGBTQ+ people face not only discrimination but a lack of access to professionals who are knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ issues.
Sana
LGBTQ+ people report discrimination as a primary reason for not seeking necessary mental and physical health care. Reports of discrimination and its adverse effects are often highest among transgender individuals.
Three in 5 transgender people report facing discrimination in their personal or professional lives—about twice the rate of the whole surveyed LGBTQ population—according to a 2020 study from the Center for American Progress. While 15% of LGBTQ+ people reported postponing medical care, including mental health care, to avoid discrimination, transgender Americans postpone at twice that rate. LGBTQ+ people face not only discrimination but a lack of access to professionals who are knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ issues.
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How does your diet affect the planet? Plus, protecting your kids from edibles, how to stop stress, and more health news
Sana
Young adults ages 18-29 were more likely than any other age group to experience high levels of psychological distress, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of CDC survey data collected between March 2020 and September 2022. Research has shown they are also the loneliest age group, with more than 3 in 5 (61%) saying they feel lonely frequently or all of the time. Loneliness can lead to serious physical and mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, substance use, and heart disease. And yet, they are the least likely to receive appropriate mental health care. Apathy is one of the biggest barriers young people face when accessing mental health care in the U.S.
Respondents who are older members of Gen Z—a cohort that ranges between the ages of 11 and 26—are less likely than older generations to maintain their health proactively, according to a 2022 McKinsey survey. They were the generation least motivated to improve their health and the least comfortable talking about behavioral health with professionals, all while being more likely than any other generation to have a behavioral-health condition, depression, and anxiety. Cost is another major barrier younger generations face when seeking mental health support, with roughly 1 in 4 Gen Z respondents saying they could not afford mental health services.
This story originally appeared on Sana and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Sana
Young adults ages 18-29 were more likely than any other age group to experience high levels of psychological distress, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of CDC survey data collected between March 2020 and September 2022. Research has shown they are also the loneliest age group, with more than 3 in 5 (61%) saying they feel lonely frequently or all of the time. Loneliness can lead to serious physical and mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, substance use, and heart disease. And yet, they are the least likely to receive appropriate mental health care. Apathy is one of the biggest barriers young people face when accessing mental health care in the U.S.
Respondents who are older members of Gen Z—a cohort that ranges between the ages of 11 and 26—are less likely than older generations to maintain their health proactively, according to a 2022 McKinsey survey. They were the generation least motivated to improve their health and the least comfortable talking about behavioral health with professionals, all while being more likely than any other generation to have a behavioral-health condition, depression, and anxiety. Cost is another major barrier younger generations face when seeking mental health support, with roughly 1 in 4 Gen Z respondents saying they could not afford mental health services.
This story originally appeared on Sana and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
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Study finds health care workers struggle to remember emergency codes
Canva
Access to health care services and the affordability of health insurance are crucial to overall health but vary widely across the United States. MoneyGeek analyzed a host of statistics, from health outcomes — such as preventable deaths and rates of certain diseases or risk factors — to health access and cost — such as how many people are uninsured and have affordable health insurance options available — to find the best and worst states for health care in the U.S.
SUMMARY FINDINGS:
- Hawaii is the top state for health care in the U.S. It has the best health outcomes in the country, with low preventable death (47 per 100,000 people), diabetes mortality and obesity rates. However, the state ranks fairly low for accessibility (No. 31).
- West Virginia has the worst health care in the nation. Though West Virginia ranks No. 6 for accessibility, it has the worst health outcomes of any state, with the highest rate of preventable deaths (126 preventable deaths among 100,000 residents) and diabetes mortalities. It also has the highest average private health insurance premiums ($8,546 per year) in the U.S.
- Vermont is the most expensive state for health care. The state has the third-highest annual private health care premiums in the country (averaging $7,886) and government spending on per capita health care costs at nearly $6,000. Vermont spends more than 13% of its total gross domestic product (GDP) on health care, while the national average is around 9%.
- Maryland has the lowest annual private health insurance premiums of any state ($4,052, on average). The national average annual cost across all states in the U.S. is $5,752.
Canva
Access to health care services and the affordability of health insurance are crucial to overall health but vary widely across the United States. MoneyGeek analyzed a host of statistics, from health outcomes — such as preventable deaths and rates of certain diseases or risk factors — to health access and cost — such as how many people are uninsured and have affordable health insurance options available — to find the best and worst states for health care in the U.S.
SUMMARY FINDINGS:
- Hawaii is the top state for health care in the U.S. It has the best health outcomes in the country, with low preventable death (47 per 100,000 people), diabetes mortality and obesity rates. However, the state ranks fairly low for accessibility (No. 31).
- West Virginia has the worst health care in the nation. Though West Virginia ranks No. 6 for accessibility, it has the worst health outcomes of any state, with the highest rate of preventable deaths (126 preventable deaths among 100,000 residents) and diabetes mortalities. It also has the highest average private health insurance premiums ($8,546 per year) in the U.S.
- Vermont is the most expensive state for health care. The state has the third-highest annual private health care premiums in the country (averaging $7,886) and government spending on per capita health care costs at nearly $6,000. Vermont spends more than 13% of its total gross domestic product (GDP) on health care, while the national average is around 9%.
- Maryland has the lowest annual private health insurance premiums of any state ($4,052, on average). The national average annual cost across all states in the U.S. is $5,752.
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Study finds health care workers struggle to remember emergency codes
MoneyGeek
The states with the best health care in the United States are those where people are generally healthier, have access to health care services and are less likely to be uninsured. The best states for health care are found all across the country, from Hawaii to Rhode Island. That said, 4 of the top 10 states on our list are located in the Northeast.
MoneyGeek
The states with the best health care in the United States are those where people are generally healthier, have access to health care services and are less likely to be uninsured. The best states for health care are found all across the country, from Hawaii to Rhode Island. That said, 4 of the top 10 states on our list are located in the Northeast.
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Study finds health care workers struggle to remember emergency codes
MoneyGeek
States that fare worse on our health care rankings tend to have higher costs for less access and higher rates of medical conditions like diabetes and obesity. The worst states for health care are concentrated regionally, with 8 of the 10 clustered in the South and Southeast.
MoneyGeek
States that fare worse on our health care rankings tend to have higher costs for less access and higher rates of medical conditions like diabetes and obesity. The worst states for health care are concentrated regionally, with 8 of the 10 clustered in the South and Southeast.
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Study finds health care workers struggle to remember emergency codes
Canva
To evaluate health care in the United States, MoneyGeek looked at three categories of data that together create a comprehensive view of the overall quality of health care in each location. Those categories include:
- Health outcomes, including indicators such as rates of disease and risk factors like obesity and smoking, preventable deaths and infant mortality. These measures help answer the question: How healthy are the people who live here?
- Cost, including factors like how much the state spends on health care and the average cost of private health insurance. These measures help answer the question: How expensive is health care in this state?
- Access, including data on the number of primary care providers and hospital beds available, how many people are uninsured and how many people needed care but had difficulty getting it. These indicators help answer the question: How easy is it to get the health care you need in this state?
Within these three categories, we broke down the best and the worst states across a wide range of health care outcome, cost and access data points. Below is a brief summary of those findings, along with the top best and worst states for each data point.
Deep Blue States Across the US Have the Healthiest Residents
- Best States for Health Outcomes:
1. Hawaii
2. Vermont
3. California
4. Massachusetts
5. New York
- Worst States for Health Outcomes:
1. West Virginia
2. Mississippi
3. Louisiana
4. Tennessee
5. Kentucky
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Southern States Have Highest Diabetes Mortality Rates
- States With Fewest Diabetes Mortalities per 100,000 Residents:
1. Hawaii: 17.0
2. Massachusetts: 17.2
3. Connecticut: 17.5
4. Vermont: 17.5
5. Colorado: 18.0
- States With Most Diabetes Mortalities per 100,000 Residents:
50. West Virginia: 41.3
49. Mississippi: 41.0
48. Arkansas: 33.8
47. Louisiana: 33.1
46. Oklahoma: 32.8
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West Virginia's Preventable Death Rate Is Nearly Three Times Texas's
- States With the Lowest Rates of Preventable Deaths per 100,000 Residents:
1. Texas: 44.0
2. Utah: 45.0
3. New York: 45.3
4. Hawaii: 46.5
5. Nebraska: 46.6
- States With the Highest Rates of Preventable Deaths per 100,000 Residents:
50. West Virginia: 125.6
49. Tennessee: 88.7
48. Kentucky: 88.2
47. New Mexico: 88.0
46. Maine: 85.1
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Northeast States Have Two Times the Primary Care Providers of Western States
- States With the Most Primary Care Providers per 100,000 Residents:
1. Rhode Island: 255.1
2. Massachusetts: 227.7
3. New York: 207.4
4. Connecticut: 197.8
5. Pennsylvania: 197.0
- States With the Fewest Primary Care Providers per 100,000 Residents:
50. Utah: 98.7
49. Idaho: 99.2
48. Nevada: 101.6
47. Texas: 109.0
46. Montana: 110.3
Canva
To evaluate health care in the United States, MoneyGeek looked at three categories of data that together create a comprehensive view of the overall quality of health care in each location. Those categories include:
- Health outcomes, including indicators such as rates of disease and risk factors like obesity and smoking, preventable deaths and infant mortality. These measures help answer the question: How healthy are the people who live here?
- Cost, including factors like how much the state spends on health care and the average cost of private health insurance. These measures help answer the question: How expensive is health care in this state?
- Access, including data on the number of primary care providers and hospital beds available, how many people are uninsured and how many people needed care but had difficulty getting it. These indicators help answer the question: How easy is it to get the health care you need in this state?
Within these three categories, we broke down the best and the worst states across a wide range of health care outcome, cost and access data points. Below is a brief summary of those findings, along with the top best and worst states for each data point.
Deep Blue States Across the US Have the Healthiest Residents
- Best States for Health Outcomes:
1. Hawaii
2. Vermont
3. California
4. Massachusetts
5. New York
- Worst States for Health Outcomes:
1. West Virginia
2. Mississippi
3. Louisiana
4. Tennessee
5. Kentucky
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Southern States Have Highest Diabetes Mortality Rates
- States With Fewest Diabetes Mortalities per 100,000 Residents:
1. Hawaii: 17.0
2. Massachusetts: 17.2
3. Connecticut: 17.5
4. Vermont: 17.5
5. Colorado: 18.0
- States With Most Diabetes Mortalities per 100,000 Residents:
50. West Virginia: 41.3
49. Mississippi: 41.0
48. Arkansas: 33.8
47. Louisiana: 33.1
46. Oklahoma: 32.8
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West Virginia's Preventable Death Rate Is Nearly Three Times Texas's
- States With the Lowest Rates of Preventable Deaths per 100,000 Residents:
1. Texas: 44.0
2. Utah: 45.0
3. New York: 45.3
4. Hawaii: 46.5
5. Nebraska: 46.6
- States With the Highest Rates of Preventable Deaths per 100,000 Residents:
50. West Virginia: 125.6
49. Tennessee: 88.7
48. Kentucky: 88.2
47. New Mexico: 88.0
46. Maine: 85.1
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Northeast States Have Two Times the Primary Care Providers of Western States
- States With the Most Primary Care Providers per 100,000 Residents:
1. Rhode Island: 255.1
2. Massachusetts: 227.7
3. New York: 207.4
4. Connecticut: 197.8
5. Pennsylvania: 197.0
- States With the Fewest Primary Care Providers per 100,000 Residents:
50. Utah: 98.7
49. Idaho: 99.2
48. Nevada: 101.6
47. Texas: 109.0
46. Montana: 110.3
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Study finds health care workers struggle to remember emergency codes
Canva
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Overall Affordability Is Best in the Southwest, Worst in the Northeast
- States With Most Affordable Health Care:
1. New Mexico
2. Colorado
3. Maryland
4. Utah
5. South Carolina
- States With Least Affordable Health Care:
50. Vermont
49. West Virginia
48. New York
47. Massachusetts
46. New Jersey
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Health Insurance Is Nearly Two Times as Expensive in Worst States for Costs
- States With Lowest Average Cost of Private Health Insurance:
1. Maryland: $4,052
2. New Mexico: $4,063
3. Minnesota: $4,109
4. Michigan: $4,335
5. Colorado: $4,368
- States With Highest Average Cost of Private Health Insurance:
50. West Virginia: $8,546
49. New York: $8,501
48. Vermont: $7,886
47. Wyoming: $7,646
46. New Jersey: $7,000
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Northeast States Have Lowest Uninsured Rates; Southern States, Highest
- States With Lowest Uninsured Population Rate:
1. Massachusetts: 3.0%
2. Rhode Island: 4.1%
3. Hawaii: 4.2%
4. Vermont: 4.5%
5. Minnesota: 4.9%
- States With Highest Uninsured Population Rate:
50. Texas: 18.4%
49. Oklahoma: 14.3%
48. Georgia: 13.4%
47. Florida: 13.2%
46. Mississippi: 13.0%
Canva
Â
Overall Affordability Is Best in the Southwest, Worst in the Northeast
- States With Most Affordable Health Care:
1. New Mexico
2. Colorado
3. Maryland
4. Utah
5. South Carolina
- States With Least Affordable Health Care:
50. Vermont
49. West Virginia
48. New York
47. Massachusetts
46. New Jersey
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Health Insurance Is Nearly Two Times as Expensive in Worst States for Costs
- States With Lowest Average Cost of Private Health Insurance:
1. Maryland: $4,052
2. New Mexico: $4,063
3. Minnesota: $4,109
4. Michigan: $4,335
5. Colorado: $4,368
- States With Highest Average Cost of Private Health Insurance:
50. West Virginia: $8,546
49. New York: $8,501
48. Vermont: $7,886
47. Wyoming: $7,646
46. New Jersey: $7,000
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Northeast States Have Lowest Uninsured Rates; Southern States, Highest
- States With Lowest Uninsured Population Rate:
1. Massachusetts: 3.0%
2. Rhode Island: 4.1%
3. Hawaii: 4.2%
4. Vermont: 4.5%
5. Minnesota: 4.9%
- States With Highest Uninsured Population Rate:
50. Texas: 18.4%
49. Oklahoma: 14.3%
48. Georgia: 13.4%
47. Florida: 13.2%
46. Mississippi: 13.0%
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Study finds health care workers struggle to remember emergency codes
Tada Images // Shutterstock
To explore and rank health care quality by state, MoneyGeek analyzed three core categories — health outcomes, cost and access to care — using health care data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and HealthData.gov. We assigned weights to each factor within these core categories to measure health care quality.Â
Outcome Factor Rank: Based on cumulative scores across the following factors:
- Infant mortality rate: The number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births
- Preventable death rate: Deaths that can be avoided through effective preventative health care and interventions per 100,000 residents
- Diabetes mortality rate: Deaths attributed to diabetes per 100,000 residents
- Obesity: Percentage of population considered obese
- Smoking rate: Percentage of adults who reported smoking
- Life expectancy: The average number of years a person can expect to live
- Suicide rates: Suicide deaths among persons age 12 and over per 100,000 residents
- New HIV cases per 100,000 residents over the age of 13
- Opioid-related hospital stay rate: Inpatient hospital stays involving opioid-related diagnoses per 100,000 residents
- Cost Factor Rank: Based on cumulative scores across the following factors:
- Health care spending as a percentage of state GDP: Government spending on health care and social assistance out of total state GDP
- State government spending on health care and social assistance per resident
- Average annual private health insurance premium costs
- Access Factor Rank: Based on cumulative score across the following factors:
- Number of hospital beds per 1,000 residents
- Number of primary care providers per 100,000 residents
- Primary care provider shortage areas (HPSAs) by state: Designations that identify areas of the U.S. experiencing health care professional shortages
- Percentage of population with access to any insurance versus just health insurance
- Ease of access to care at the doctor's office or clinic using Medicare
- Ease of access to care at a specialist using Medicare
MoneyGeek used the following weightings in our analysis:
- Preventable death rate: Full weight
- Infant mortality rate: Full weight
- Life expectancy: Half weight
- Diabetes mortalities per 100,000 people: Half weight
- Obesity as a percentage of the population: Half weight
- Hospital inpatient stays involving opioid-related diagnoses per 100,00 people: Quarter weight
- Smoking rate among adults: Quarter weight
- Suicide deaths among persons ages 12 and older per 100,000 people: Quarter weight
- New HIV cases among persons ages 13 and older per 100,000 people: Quarter weight
- Annual health insurance costs: Full weight
- Health care spending as a percentage of state GDP: Half weight
- Health care spending as a share of GDP per resident: Half weight
- Percentage of population with health insurance: Full weight
- Number of hospital beds per 100,000 people: Half weight
- Adults who had a doctor's office or clinic visit in the last 12 months and needed care, tests, or treatment who sometimes or never found it easy to get the care, tests, or treatment, Medicare fee-for-service: Quarter weight
- Adults who needed to see a specialist in the last 6 or 12 months who sometimes or never found it easy to see a specialist, Medicare fee-for-service: Quarter weight
- Primary care health professional shortage areas: % of need met to remove shortage designation: Quarter weight
- Number of primary care providers per 100,000 population: Quarter weight
SOURCES
This story originally appeared on MoneyGeek and has been independently reviewed to meet journalistic standards.
Tada Images // Shutterstock
To explore and rank health care quality by state, MoneyGeek analyzed three core categories — health outcomes, cost and access to care — using health care data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and HealthData.gov. We assigned weights to each factor within these core categories to measure health care quality.Â
Outcome Factor Rank: Based on cumulative scores across the following factors:
- Infant mortality rate: The number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births
- Preventable death rate: Deaths that can be avoided through effective preventative health care and interventions per 100,000 residents
- Diabetes mortality rate: Deaths attributed to diabetes per 100,000 residents
- Obesity: Percentage of population considered obese
- Smoking rate: Percentage of adults who reported smoking
- Life expectancy: The average number of years a person can expect to live
- Suicide rates: Suicide deaths among persons age 12 and over per 100,000 residents
- New HIV cases per 100,000 residents over the age of 13
- Opioid-related hospital stay rate: Inpatient hospital stays involving opioid-related diagnoses per 100,000 residents
- Cost Factor Rank: Based on cumulative scores across the following factors:
- Health care spending as a percentage of state GDP: Government spending on health care and social assistance out of total state GDP
- State government spending on health care and social assistance per resident
- Average annual private health insurance premium costs
- Access Factor Rank: Based on cumulative score across the following factors:
- Number of hospital beds per 1,000 residents
- Number of primary care providers per 100,000 residents
- Primary care provider shortage areas (HPSAs) by state: Designations that identify areas of the U.S. experiencing health care professional shortages
- Percentage of population with access to any insurance versus just health insurance
- Ease of access to care at the doctor's office or clinic using Medicare
- Ease of access to care at a specialist using Medicare
MoneyGeek used the following weightings in our analysis:
- Preventable death rate: Full weight
- Infant mortality rate: Full weight
- Life expectancy: Half weight
- Diabetes mortalities per 100,000 people: Half weight
- Obesity as a percentage of the population: Half weight
- Hospital inpatient stays involving opioid-related diagnoses per 100,00 people: Quarter weight
- Smoking rate among adults: Quarter weight
- Suicide deaths among persons ages 12 and older per 100,000 people: Quarter weight
- New HIV cases among persons ages 13 and older per 100,000 people: Quarter weight
- Annual health insurance costs: Full weight
- Health care spending as a percentage of state GDP: Half weight
- Health care spending as a share of GDP per resident: Half weight
- Percentage of population with health insurance: Full weight
- Number of hospital beds per 100,000 people: Half weight
- Adults who had a doctor's office or clinic visit in the last 12 months and needed care, tests, or treatment who sometimes or never found it easy to get the care, tests, or treatment, Medicare fee-for-service: Quarter weight
- Adults who needed to see a specialist in the last 6 or 12 months who sometimes or never found it easy to see a specialist, Medicare fee-for-service: Quarter weight
- Primary care health professional shortage areas: % of need met to remove shortage designation: Quarter weight
- Number of primary care providers per 100,000 population: Quarter weight
SOURCES
This story originally appeared on MoneyGeek and has been independently reviewed to meet journalistic standards.
MILLIONS OF TRIPS
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says millions of U.S. residents travel abroad for care annually.
Researcher Arturo Bustamante estimates that roughly 400,000 people traveled from the U.S. to Mexico each year for care before COVID-19 hit. The University of California, Los Angeles health policy professor said the number dropped under pandemic stay-at-home orders but then quickly rebounded.
Most of the people visiting Mexico for care are Mexican or Latino immigrants living in the United States, he said.
Non-Latino patients mainly cross the border for dental work, to buy prescription drugs or receive care like plastic surgery or some cancer treatments not covered in the U.S.
WEIGHING RISKS
Patients can take steps to lessen risks of receiving care in another country.
They should heed U.S. government travel alerts about their intended destinations, Edelheit said.
Trip safety also can be enhanced if a medical tourism agent works with the patient, Gan noted. Hospitals or care providers often will have someone pick patients up at the airport and take them to their doctor appointment or hotel.
Miguel Roberts
Brownsville Fire Department EMS Ambulances with two surviving U.S. citizens arrive at Valley Regional Medical Center, Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in Brownsville, Texas, after having been kidnapped and shot at by gunmen in Matamoros, Mexico. The March 3 shooting left two other Americans dead. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald via AP)
Patients also should do research on care quality before looking at prices, Edelheit said. They should learn where their potential doctor received training and look for any accreditations or certifications.
“They really need to make sure they are going with the best of the best,” he said.
The risk for patients may not end after the procedure. If someone has complications after returning home, it may be hard for their U.S. doctor to learn the details about the care received during a trip.
Patients also may find it difficult to sue their doctor or hospital in Mexico, Bustamante said.
“Navigating the system is usually complicated,” he said.
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