Special Report
This Is Where Louisiana's Health Care System Ranks in the US
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The U.S. health care system faced new levels of scrutiny in the past year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There were shortages of medical masks, ICU beds, as well as nurses. But even before the pandemic, some states were much better equipped to handle both everyday health needs — and the pandemic — than others.
There are many states in which residents are much more likely to lack health care insurance. In many of these states, there are also fewer medical professionals relative to the population, which can hinder access to care, as well as underfunded medical hospitals.
The health care system in Louisiana ranks as the 12th worst in the country.
Despite a lower than average uninsured rate, Louisiana ranks among the states with the worst health care system in part due to relatively low state spending on health care as well as hospitals. The state spends $101 per capita on health care and just $76 per resident on hospitals. Both amounts are significantly lower than their respective nationwide figures of $205 and $294.
Louisiana also has a lower concentration of dentists and primary care doctors relative to the population. It also has a high share of adults reporting being in poor or fair health as well as relatively high infant and child mortality.
About 21.4% adults report poor or fair health, the fifth highest share in the U.S. The infant mortality rate is 7.9 per 1,000 births, and the child mortality rate is 70.0 per 100,000 children, the third and second highest rates in the country.
To identify the states with the worst health care systems, 24/7 Wall St. constructed an index comprising six health measures for each state: the share of residents without health insurance, state spending on health care as well as on hospitals per capita, and the number of dentists, doctors, and mental health providers per 100,000 people. Each of these measures was weighted equally in the index. These are the 25 states with the worst health care system
| Rank | State | Uninsured rate | Adults in poor or fair health | Premium contribution, single coverage | State spending on health care per capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Wyoming | 12.3% | 15.3% | $96.25 | $513 |
| 24 | Delaware | 6.6% | 16.3% | $127.92 | $480 |
| 23 | Montana | 8.3% | 14.1% | $93.50 | $167 |
| 22 | Missouri | 10.0% | 19.5% | $109.83 | $332 |
| 21 | Nebraska | 8.3% | 13.8% | $112.58 | $151 |
| 20 | Illinois | 7.4% | 15.9% | $115.17 | $97 |
| 19 | Kentucky | 6.4% | 21.8% | $121.08 | $98 |
| 18 | North Dakota | 6.9% | 13.6% | $98.50 | $188 |
| 17 | South Carolina | 10.8% | 17.8% | $111.58 | $247 |
| 16 | North Carolina | 11.3% | 18.0% | $115.92 | $164 |
| 15 | West Virginia | 6.7% | 23.6% | $113.08 | $160 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 14.3% | 20.9% | $115.25 | $223 |
| 13 | South Dakota | 10.2% | 13.4% | $120.17 | $178 |
| 12 | Louisiana | 8.9% | 21.4% | $122.08 | $101 |
| 11 | Alabama | 9.7% | 21.4% | $132.75 | $117 |
| 10 | Arkansas | 9.1% | 23.3% | $104.42 | $58 |
| 9 | Florida | 13.2% | 19.5% | $120.17 | $225 |
| 8 | Idaho | 10.8% | 15.1% | $73.08 | $104 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 10.1% | 21.2% | $119.25 | $111 |
| 6 | Indiana | 8.7% | 18.2% | $121.67 | $90 |
| 5 | Nevada | 11.4% | 19.1% | $104.58 | $93 |
| 4 | Mississippi | 13.0% | 22.1% | $109.08 | $133 |
| 3 | Arizona | 11.3% | 18.6% | $126.92 | $81 |
| 2 | Georgia | 13.4% | 18.4% | $108.25 | $119 |
| 1 | Texas | 18.4% | 18.7% | $112.92 | $109 |
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