Health care will always be an issue for everyone, given that humans are inherently bound to need medical attention from time to time. But depending on where you live — and if you have children — there may be better places for you to go for an optimal health care experience.
WalletHub’s latest ranking, 2018’s Best & Worst States for Children’s Health Care, found the best state for children’s health care is Vermont, followed by the District of Columbia and Massachusetts respectively. The worst state is Nevada, behind Louisiana and Texas.
The organization ranked the 50 states and District of Columbia according to 30 key indicators related to kids’ health and access to health care; kids’ nutrition, physical activity and obesity; and kids’ oral health.
The most pediatricians and family doctors per capita — a part of the the kids’ health and access to health care category — could be found in Vermont, Delaware, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. The fewest were in West Virginia, Louisiana, Nevada, Washington and New York.
Elsewhere, the lowest percentage of obese children — an indicator in the kids’ nutrition, physical activity and obesity category — resided in New Hampshire, Washington, Colorado, Utah and Oregon. The highest were in Mississippi and Texas (tied), West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee and Louisiana (tied).
As for cost, the places with the lowest percentage of children with unaffordable medical bills were the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, California, Hawaii and Pennsylvania. The states with the highest were Nevada, North Dakota, Texas, Maine and West Virginia.
The top 10 states for children’s health care are listed below, and the complete list can be found here.
| Overall Rank | State | Kids’ Health & Access to Health Care Rank |
| 1 | Vermont | 1 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 2 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 5 |
| 4 | Connecticut | 6 |
| 5 | New York | 8 |
| 6 | Maryland | 4 |
| 7 | Hawaii | 3 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 10 |
| 9 | New Jersey | 9 |
| 10 | California | 15 |
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The Top 10 States for Children’s Health Care originally appeared on usnews.com
