INDIANAPOLIS — Burdening costs. Declining health care outcomes. These are just a few of the reasons why Indiana ranked so poorly in a study conducted by Forbes Advisor that reviewed the healthcare quality of all 50 states.
The inaugural study ranked each state according to 24 metrics spread out among four key healthcare categories. The study assessed the metrics based on healthcare access, outcomes, cost and quality of hospital care. Each category was measured based on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the worst performance.
Indiana received a score of 79.01 out of 100 based on those categories, meaning that the Hoosier state finished as the 10th worst state when it comes to facilitating the healthcare needs of its inhabitants.
Indiana reportedly has an average of 12.59 primary care physicians who are available to provide care per every 100,000 residents, according to the study. Hoosiers also pay an average annual premium cost of $1,774 when it comes to single health insurance coverage through an employer.
The study outlined several other metrics, with Indiana receiving a score of 66.17 for its healthcare access and a score of 74.43 for healthcare outcomes.
It did rank slightly higher when it came to healthcare costs with a score of 85.76, meaning that many Hoosiers struggle to afford basic healthcare due to high costs or lack of coverage. However, Indiana received its lowest ranking in the category measuring its quality of hospital care with a score of 31.02.
Indiana lawmakers passed multiple measures earlier this year aimed at reducing healthcare costs. House Enrolled Act 1004 stipulates that third-party contractors are obliged to assess the charging costs of non-profit hospitals to determine how they compare to 285% of the Medicare reimbursement rate.
A new law, Senate Enrolled Act 8, requires pharmacy benefit managers to share with the patient a minimum of 85% of their cost savings from rebates and discounts. The law is set to be implemented in 2025.
Lawmakers also passed Senate Enrolled Act 7, which bans non-compete agreements for primary care physicians. The law came into effect on July 1.
Georgia was ranked as the worst state for healthcare, according to the study.
In contrast, Minnesota received the best ranking for its healthcare capabilities. The study acknowledged that Minnesota’s favorable healthcare outcomes were in large part due to the state having the fourth-lowest total of influenza and pneumonia deaths with a rate of 7.03 per 100,000 residents.
Minnesota also has the highest number of critical care nurses and certified nurse anesthetists with a rate of 5.53 per 10,000 residents. The state also ranked high when it came to the proportion of residents lacking health insurance coverage, recording the fifth-lowest percentage of residents lacking coverage.
Additionally, North Carolina ranked as the worst state when it comes to healthcare costs while Utah was the worst state in terms of healthcare access. New Mexico reportedly recorded the worst quality when it came to hospital care and Mississippi was the worst state for its healthcare outcomes.
The study compiled its data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. Census Bureau and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
