If there’s anyone who has their finger on the pulse of pediatric care around the country, it’s travel nurses and allied health. This week’s edition of the Traveler’s Guide spotlights a new survey ranking the best states for children’s healthcare.
The Northeast dominates a new WalletHub survey ranking the best states for children’s healthcare. Seven of the survey’s top ten states are located on the East Coast north of Virginia. Massachusetts ranks No. 1, followed by Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, Vermont, and Hawaii rounding out the top five.
Southern states filled the bottom rankings, with Mississippi coming in last place. States were graded on 33 metrics with a 100-point scale, covering three categories−health and access to healthcare (55 points), nutrition and physical activity (40 points), and oral health (5 points). The survey was based on children ages 0 to 17.
Massachusetts had a total score of 66.26, while last place Mississippi scored 39.58. Massachusetts also ranked No. 1 for the percentage of children with healthcare coverage, while Texas came in last. Nebraska was the top-ranked state for children with excellent to very good health, while Mississippi was the worst. Visit WalletHub for the complete breakdown.
95 Percent Insured
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 5 percent of U.S. children do not have insurance. Prior to 2016, the expansion of healthcare coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) helped bring down uninsured rates for kids. However, 3.9 million are still without coverage based on 2021 statistics.
According to the American Center for Progress, 48.5 percent of all citizens get their coverage through employee-sponsored insurance. Still, a Kaiser Family Foundation and LA Times 2019 survey revealed that those same individuals and families “put off or postponed” care due to high costs.
Concern over children’s healthcare was front and center last fall when a drastic increase in respiratory syncytial virus or RSV cases overwhelmed hospital staff and underscored the need for more pediatric nurses.
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