Health Care: How Louisiana Stacks Up

Health Care: How Louisiana Stacks Up

Health Statistics > Health Index (most recent) by state

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Rank   States  Amount  # 1   Vermont: 22.67  # 2   New Hampshire: 21.4  # 3   Massachusetts: 18.69  # 4   Minnesota: 16.3  # 5   Maine: 16.06  # 6   Iowa: 14.57  # 7   Utah: 14.19  # 8   Hawaii: 13.71  # 9   Nebraska: 12.82  # 10   Connecticut: 12.63  # 11   North Dakota: 11.47  # 12   Rhode Island: 10.51  # 13   Washington: 9.87  # 14   Wisconsin: 8.07  # 15   Kansas: 7.85  # 16   New Jersey: 7.71  # 17   Virginia: 6.74  # 18   California: 6.51  # 19   Oregon: 5.92  # 20   Idaho: 5.42  # 21   Pennsylvania: 5.33  # 22   South Dakota: 5.29  # 23   Michigan: 3.73  # 24   Indiana: 3.33  # 25   Montana: 3.19  # 26   Ohio: 3.12  # 27   Colorado: 1.61  # 28   West Virginia: 1.23  # 29   Maryland: 0.77  # 30   Wyoming: -0.19  # 31   New York: -0.64  # 32   Kentucky: -0.86  # 33   North Carolina: -1.03  # 34   Illinois: -1.17  # 35   Delaware: -1.49  # 36   Missouri: -2.89  # 37   Alaska: -4.98  # 38   Tennessee: -5  # 39   Arizona: -5.78  # 40   Arkansas: -5.93  # 41   Alabama: -9.97  # 42   Georgia: -10  # 43   South Carolina: -10.63  # 44   Florida: -11.21  # 45   Texas: -11.85  # 46   Oklahoma: -12.07  # 47   Nevada: -13.37  # 48   New Mexico: -17.69  # 49   Mississippi: -18.43  # 50   Louisiana: -20.95  Weighted average: 2.1

Politics in America: what could be more controversial, or more important to us as American citizens? Despite the cynicism that permeates the discussion of politics and voting in our nation, it has been my experience that most people have a basic understanding of the democratic process (at least as a theoretical ideal) and that most people in the U.S. want to vote. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 70% of residents who were eligible registered to vote in the 2004 election, and over 88% of those registered actually showed up at the polls to vote. Americans do care about social and political issues, and they do want to make their views known. But sometimes we can become paralyzed by confusion about the issues being debated, or lack of understanding about the difference between politicians or their views. After all, not everyone can spend hours researching facts and figures before every election. So we want to share what we think is some of the most significant information Louisianans should know about the health care debate - information that has affected the way we view the heath insurance controversy as both Americans, and as proud Louisianans.

1. Louisiana ranks lowest in the nation in a comparison of health factors among all 50 states. The results of a study published by United Health Foundation included factors such as insurance coverage, number of children living below the poverty rate, percent of preventable hospitalizations, infant mortality rates, and overall death rates - all of which were noted as specific challenges to the future of Louisiana's health care. 
2. Louisiana ranks last in the nation in terms of people losing health coverage. In a study conducted from 2000-2004, more Louisianans lost their health insurance coverage than residents of any other state.  Over 7% of residents who previously had health insurance lost it in the course of the study. This is several times greater than the average loss among other states, which was slightly higher than half of one percent.
   
3. Roughly 20% of residents in Louisiana are already completely uninsured. This translates to more than 860,000 people, all members of our own communities. And although the majority of these uninsured residents live below the poverty level, at least 30% of these uninsured residents actually bring in at least twice the amount of income designated as the federal poverty level. This means that lack of insurance is not just a problem among our impoverished communities - it is also a problem in our middle-income, "average" families. These are families in which one or both parents work, but still cannot afford health insurance coverage.
   

The above studies lead to one worrying and undeniable conclusion: that Louisianans have objectively some of the worst health outcomes in the nation. Perhaps if we were all residents of some other state, we could afford to let the status quo remain as is.... But as Louisianans, we have more reason than anyone to push for health care and insurance coverage reform!