Texas ranked near the very bottom when indicators of cost, quality and access were analyzed for children’s healthcare by WalletHub. The study revealed that children will cost around $230,000 to raise, and that while insurance rates have increased, costs have also risen nearly 20 percent between 2013 and 2017.
The rankings rated each state and the District of Columbia based on health and access to healthcare, nutrition, physical activity and obesity, and oral health. Texas’ overall rank was 49 out of 51, and ranked 50 in access, 38 in nutrition, and 31 in oral health, ahead of only Louisiana and Nevada. As with most of the quality of life measures, the deep south took many of the bottom spots on this list.
States in the mid-Atlantic and New England ranked among of the top spots, with Vermont coming in first, followed by the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. Maryland was the state with the highest percentage of kids with excellent health, while Texas tied for second to last by the same measure. Texas was also near the bottom of percentage of uninsured children, children with unaffordable medical bills, and was the state with the highest obesity rates for children.
The study ranked the states based on 30 metrics, including infant and child death rates, vaccination rates, cost of doctor’s visit, consumption of sugar and vegetables, obesity rates, and recent dental and medical checkups.
Although the Texas economy has been booming for years, the money pouring into the state has not improved the health outcomes for its residents, especially those experiencing poverty or other hardships. Texas has for years ranked among the worst for teen pregnancy, unmet medical needs, and overall child well-being.
See the full study here.
