Industry News

On June 12, 2019, the Commonwealth Fund released its 2019 Scorecard on State Health System Performance. The Scorecard assesses various health care measures in 50 states and the District of Columbia. The state-by-state report covers access to care, quality of care, health care costs, health outcomes, and income-based disparities, among others.

Some of the key highlights include:

• The increase in deaths from suicide, alcohol and drug overdose is a national crisis, but the results vary by state.
• In several states, the uninsured rates have declined following recently expanded eligibility for Medicaid programs; however, in some states the gains have slowed or eroded.
• Per capita health care spending growth in employer plans is surpassing that in Medicare.

States face significant challenges in promoting affordable health care and the best possible outcomes for their residents. According to the Scorecard, the overall top six ranked states (in order of ranking) include: Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Washington, Connecticut and Vermont.