The Best States for Healthcare – How Does Georgia Stack Up?

Healthcare is a top priority for most voters. No matter where you stand on healthcare, one thing everyone agrees on is that we want access to healthcare when we need it, and we want that medical care to be safe, professional, and error-free.

MoneyRates recently published a study entitled “Best States for Healthcare 2020,” illustrating how the cost and quality of medical treatment can vary wildly from state to state. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the average American can spend up to $10,000 per year on healthcare.

For their research, MoneyRates analyzed eight different aspects of healthcare performance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Then, they used the overall performance from these eight categories to come up with an average score for each state. Their findings are based on data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kaiser Family Foundation. These categories are:

1. Health insurance coverage, based on the percentage of the population covered;
2. Self-reported health status, based on the percentage of the population reporting their own health to be better than “fair” or “poor;”
3. Child immunization coverage, based on the percentage of children who have been immunized;
4. Infant survival rates, based on the percentage of births to survive their first year;
5. Nursing home staffing, based on the number of staffers compared to the 65 years and older population;
6. Doctor’s office staffing, based on the staffing of physician’s offices relative to population;
7. Inpatient expenses, based on the average daily cost of inpatient care; and
8. Healthcare premium affordability, based on the annual cost of insurance premiums.

The MoneyRates study provides valuable information for the general public, as you can compare Georgia’s ranking to other states, as well as gain some insight into what does and doesn’t work for them.

Where Georgia ranks in healthcare

According to the study, Georgia ranks close to the bottom in healthcare, coming in at number 47. Researchers attribute this to a few factors. The state currently ranks last for child immunization coverage and close to the bottom for infant mortality and health insurance coverage, which drops the score to what the study calls “critical condition.”

However, looking at the overall numbers, Georgia ranks “healthy” for doctor’s office staffing and “robust” for inpatient expenses, which is beneficial to patients. The study also points out that Georgia is one of the least expensive states for hospitalization – but, remember, you may get what you pay for.

Healthcare costs can also vary wildly, not only from state to state, but from county to county. Rockdale County resident Frans Insinger discovered this when he renewed his health insurance to find his premium had jumped up $200 per month. If Insinger lived in the very next county, his premiums would have remained stable.

At Harris Lowry Manton, our Georgia injury attorneys provide experienced representation to the people of Savannah and Atlanta. If you have questions about your injury or an insurance claim, please don’t hesitate to reach out for a consultation at 912-417-3774 at our Savannah office, 404-998-8847 at our Atlanta office, or fill out our contact form.