Top 10 states with the best healthcare

With health plans dropping out of the health insurance exchanges, states taking action to rein in costs by tying provider payments to high-value care, and access to healthcare still an issue, personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2016’s states with the best and worst healthcare.

WalletHub’s analysts measured the impact of geography treatment and costs to determine the best state healthcare systems. It compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key areas, including healthcare costs, access and outcomes.

Gonzalez

“The top 10 states offer great healthcare access and outcomes at relatively low costs,” according to WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez. “Managed care executives should strive to offer quality services without breaking a patient’s bank.”

Here are the top 10 states, according to the report, that deliver the best healthcare services provide great health outcomes for their residents, from lower death rates among infants and children to higher life expectancy overall.

#1. Minnesota

Minnesota has low overall costs, with the lowest average monthly insurance premium at $234, according to WalletHub. This is 2.4 times lower than in Alaska, where the premium is highest, $567. It also has one of the best health outcomes in the country with low mortality rates and the third-highest life expectancy-over 81 years old.

#2. Maryland

Maryland has the lowest healthcare costs in the nation, according to WalletHub, with the lowest cost of medical visit at just $74, and the third-lowest insurance premium at $241 per month.

#3. South Dakota

The Mount Rushmore State is known for giving its residents access to the right healthcare provider when they need to. South Dakota has the second-highest number of hospital beds at almost six per 1,000 residents and the third-highest number of physician assistants, 61 per 100,000 residents.

#4. Iowa

Healthcare costs are low in Iowa, according to WalletHub, with the third-lowest cost of a dentist visit at almost $75. It also has the sixth highest percentage of adults with health insurance coverage at just above 88%.

#5. Utah

Utah shines when it comes to health outcomes, with the fourth lowest rates of both cancer and heart disease, according to WalletHub. In terms of healthcare access, the state’s public hospital system is ranked best in the country, with 81% of patients giving it high ratings.

#6. Kansas

The Sunflower State boasts low healthcare costs with the eighth lowest cost of dentist visit at $79 and the third lowest premium insurance at $241 per month. It also has the second lowest average ER waiting time at just 17 minutes.

#7. Hawaii

Hawaii has the best health outcomes in the country, according to WalletHub, with low mortality rates and the highest life expectancy at 81.3 years. It also has the third lowest out-of-pocket medical spending, with just 16% of its residents under 65 years old spending high amounts of money on health.

#8. Vermont

Vermont has the second lowest heart disease rates in the nation, with just 2% of its residents experiencing strokes.

#9. The District of Columbia

The District of Columbia has the best healthcare access, having the highest number of hospital beds at almost seven per 1,000 residents (3.4 times higher than in Oregon, where the number is lowest at 2.05) and the highest number of physicians, 849.3 per 100,000 residents. This is 4.6 times higher than in Mississippi, where the number is lowest, 184.7.

#10. Nebraska

Nebraska ranked fifth for the healthcare access category, with the highest physician Medicaid acceptance rates at almost 97% and the fourth highest physician Medicare acceptance rates at 93%, according to WalletHub