A new report on state by state.


Minnesota residents drink too much, but they have a low premature death rate. Mississippians don't overindulge, but only a fifth of the population has health insurance. And Vermont seems to be under a lucky star—few uninsured residents, a very low rate of infectious diseases, and a low premature death rate.

These are some of results revealed in the 18th annual America's Health Rankings, a report comparing Americans' health, state by state. It was released by the United Health Foundation (UHF) Nov. 5. The UHF, which was founded by the UnitedHealth group in 1999, publishes the report in partnership with the American Public Health Assn. and Partnership for Prevention.


LINK

My state ranked a lot higher than I think it should have been ranked.

Mine too. Could someone being blowing smoke up our butts?

That would be my guess CHUQ. I know health care in our area really sucks.

Apparently, all this is according to how much money the industry can make, not how much the people are cared for.

This is the test for a healthcare. IMO, it will not be universal, but it would be a start, which is better than anything happening now.


Ultimately, it will take national legislation to create a truly universal system of coverage. For now, though, state initiatives are yielding a new model for universal health care -- a uniquely American approach based on the principle of shared responsibility rather than the old dream of European-style "national health insurance" provided in top-down fashion by government. The emerging shared-responsibility model, long advocated by the Progressive Policy Institute, rests on three key pillars.

* An individual mandate. Many of the leading state experiments require individuals to purchase private health insurance for themselves and their children if they have the means to do so;

* Financial assistance. Most state plans offer public subsidies for needy families on a sliding scale based on income; and

* Choice and competition. Most plans call for insurance pools based on the Federal Employee Health Benefits system (FEHB). These pools connect individuals and small businesses to the group-insurance market, fostering choice and competition among plans to improve quality and keep costs down.


LINK