Your state’s health care system plays a significant role in how you fare when you get sick – but if you live in a specific New England area, you’re in luck.
New research from WalletHub shows that Vermont is the state with the best health care in 2018, with a “total score” of 66.31.
WalletHub analyzed all 50 states and Washinton, D.C. in terms of “access,” “cost,” and “outcomes.” They then looked at them further in terms of 40 other factors before eventually giving each one a “total score” out of 100. The company also used information from the U.S. Census Bureau, among many other sources.
The Top 10 states for health care
These ones have the best systems — did your state make the top 10?
1) Vermont (total score: 66.31)
2) Massachusetts (total score: 65.31)
3) New Hampshire (total score: 64.03)
4) Minnesota (total score: 63.35)
5) Hawaii (total score: 63.08)
6) Rhode Island (total score: 62.98)
7) Colorado (total score: 62.69)
8) District of Columbia (total score: 62.08)
9) Iowa (total score: 61.94)
10) Maryland (total score: 61.86)
Louisiana came in last place (#51) with a total score of 41.14.
How the states compare to each other
The infographic takes a more in-depth look:
How to avoid health-care sticker shock
It essentially boils down to being strategic in your daily life.
Angela Snyder, the director of health policy and financing at the Georgia Health Policy Center at Georgia State University, told WalletHub how Americans can cut back on health costs.
“Chronic diseases are huge cost drivers and many of them result from poor lifestyle choices, so all of the positive behaviors we already know about including healthy eating, moderate exercise, regular health check-ups, adequate sleep, and managing stress can go a long way in minimizing long-term health-related expenditures,” she told the site.