The best and worst states for health care in 2018

Seeking to understand where Americans receive the best health care, personal finance website WalletHub examined costs, access to care and outcomes via 40 different metrics in each state, and ultimately determined that Vermont residents get the best care. The state ranks first for care outcomes and third for cost, but is in the 23rd slot for access to care.

Washington, DC, ranked eighth in the country for best health care. It has the most hospital beds and physicians per capita, and the lowest costs. Surprisingly, DC also ranks at the bottom of the list for percentage of medical residents retained.

Idaho ranked 48th in the access to care category. The state has the fewest physicians and fewest number of hospital beds per capita. The first medical school in the state, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, will begin training students this year in an effort to ease the state’s physician shortage.

The entire list of all 50 states and Washington, DC, is available at WalletHub, where the the best and worst states for average monthly insurance premiums, hospital beds per capita, physicians per capita and more are also listed.

WalletHub’s best and worst states for health care