2020’s Best & Worst States for Children’s Health Care

The Coronavirus pandemic continues with 239,279 cases and 5,443 deaths in the United States. In the United States, 22% of the population is made up of infants, children, and adolescents aged <18 years. Data from China suggest that pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases might be less severe than cases in adults and that children (persons aged <18 years) might experience different symptoms than adults. U.S. COVID-19 cases, relatively few children with COVID-19 are hospitalized, and fewer children than adults experience fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Severe outcomes have been reported in children, including three deaths.

With parents needing to safeguard their children against the coronavirus and Every Kid Healthy Week kicking off on April 24, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020’s Best & Worst States for Children's Health Care.

In order to determine which states offer the most cost-effective and highest-quality health care for children, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 33 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of children aged 0 to 17 in excellent or very good health to pediatricians and family doctors per capita.

Best vs. Worst

• Massachusetts has the lowest share of uninsured children aged 0 to 18, 1.30 percent, which is 8.2 times lower than in Texas, the highest at 10.60 percent.
• Hawaii has the lowest share of children aged 0 to 17 with unaffordable medical bills, 3.20 percent, which is 5.2 times lower than in Wyoming, the highest at 16.60 percent.
• The District of Columbia has the most pediatricians per 100,000 residents, 43.83, which is 19.7 times more than in South Carolina, the fewest at 2.22.
• Utah has the lowest share of obese children aged 10 to 17, 8.70 percent, which is 2.9 times lower than in Mississippi, the highest at 25.40 percent.

Expert Commentary

Is there evidence that children’s hospitals produce better health outcomes for children?

“There is evidence that children’s hospitals produce better health outcomes for children,” said Maria Alexandrova, MD, OBGYN, PhD, MS, University of Notre Dame. “Medical personnel are specialized in children’s care work at the children’s hospitals, thus, meeting the unique needs of the hospitalized sick and recovering children. Children’s hospitals embrace a golden standard practice of encouraging parents/guardians and other family members to be actively involved in the process of care of their hospitalized sick children. Children’s hospitals provide a holistic approach to treatment and rehabilitation of hospitalized sick children by providing the resources available, such as medical services, health/wellness support, breastfeeding/lactation sustainability, newborn care, mental health services, parental and familial sustenance, social networks provisions, education continuation opportunities, etc. Thus, children’s hospitals are committing substantial inter-hospital and hospital-affiliated community-based resources to children’s and population health.”

“It depends on the health issue and the quality, cost, and accessibility of alternative sources of care,” said Mary Ann Chirba, J.D., D.Sc., M.P.H., Boston College Law School.

In evaluating the best states for children’s healthcare, what are the top 5 indicators?

“In evaluating the best states for children’s health care the top 5 indicators are prematurity; infant mortality; childhood vaccination rate; obesity rate; access to holistic health care services<’ said Alexandrova, University of Notre Dame.

“In no particular order: rates of a) joblessness and poverty; b) housing; c) education; d) Medicaid expansion and basic access to health insurance (important for children's entire family to be covered); e) access to health care providers (as opposed to coverage),” said Chirba, Boston College Law School.

For the full report and to see where your state or the District ranks, please visit:

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-child-health/34455/

Courtesy: WalletHub