California ranks low for healthcare affordability, report finds

Talks of affordability, or the lack thereof, often go hand in hand with discussions about California.

Many of those conversations center on the cost of living in the Golden State, which ranks among the least affordable states in the nation. Health care is among those expenses, so where does California stand when it comes to health care affordability?

According to a new WalletHub study, California's health care system ranks No. 24 in the nation overall. The state fares far worse for affordability, however, ranking No. 39. On a more positive note, California ranks No. 14 for health outcomes.

“Healthcare has two crucial components, cost and quality. The best healthcare in the nation isn’t helpful if it bankrupts the people who try to get it, and cheap

healthcare isn’t worth paying for if it provides subpar or ineffective treatment," Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said in a news release. "Therefore, the best states for healthcare are those that make high-quality care affordable, on top of providing many options for doctors and making insurance easily accessible.”

To determine where Americans receive the best and worst care, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 44 measures of cost, accessibility and outcomes.

Here's what WalletHub's report found for California and the rest of the nation.

What WalletHub report found for California

With an overall score of 56.32, the Golden State landed in the top half of WalletHub's rankings, placing No. 24 in the nation for its health care system.

California ranked No. 39 for cost and No. 24 for access.

The state's highest ranking came in outcomes, where it placed 14th.

Best states for health care, report says

WalletHub's report for best/worst states for health care

Here are the best states for health care, along with their overall scores and rankings, according to WalletHub.

• No. 1: New Hampshire (68.63)
  • Cost rank: 2
  • Access rank: 17
  • Outcomes rank: 1
• No. 2: Minnesota (66.72)
  • Cost rank: 3
  • Access rank: 2
  • Outcomes rank: 11
• No. 3: Iowa (65.39)
  • Cost rank: 1
  • Access rank: 29
  • Outcomes rank: 12
• No. 4: Rhode Island (63.44)
  • Cost rank: 13
  • Access rank: 10
  • Outcomes rank: 9
• No. 5: Hawaii (63.08)
  • Cost rank: 25
  • Access rank: 23
  • Outcomes rank: 3
• No. 6: Massachusetts (62.67)
  • Cost rank: 40
  • Access rank: 4
  • Outcomes rank: 2
• No. 7: Maine (61.55)
  • Cost rank: 23
  • Access rank: 3
  • Outcomes rank: 19
• No. 8: Wisconsin (61.37)
  • Cost rank: 24
  • Access rank: 16
  • Outcomes rank: 3
• No. 9: Colorado (61.32)
  • Cost rank: 36
  • Access rank: 5
  • Outcomes rank: 7
• No. 10: Nebraska (60.91)
  • Cost rank: 21
  • Access rank: 8
  • Outcomes rank: 16

Worst states for health care, according to report

Here are the worst states for health care, along with their overall scores and rankings, per WalletHub's report.

• No. 51: Alaska (44.33)
  • Cost rank: 51
  • Access rank: 20
  • Outcomes rank: 41
• No. 50: Mississippi (44.76)
  • Cost rank: 32
  • Access rank: 40
  • Outcomes rank: 51
• No. 49: Georgia (47.33)
  • Cost rank: 37
  • Access rank: 49
  • Outcomes rank: 43
• No. 48: Texas (47.48)
  • Cost rank: 46
  • Access rank: 50
  • Outcomes rank: 39
• No. 47: West Virginia (47.98)
  • Cost rank: 41
  • Access rank: 19
  • Outcomes rank: 47
• No. 46: Alabama (49.36)
  • Cost rank: 14
  • Access rank: 48
  • Outcomes rank: 45
• No. 45: Louisiana (49.57)
  • Cost rank: 35
  • Acess rank: 13
  • Outcomes rank: 48
• No. 44: New Mexico (50.49)
  • Cost rank: 31
  • Access rank: 44
  • Outcomes rank: 40
• No. 43: Arkansas (50.56)
  • Cost rank: 15
  • Access rank: 26
  • Outcomes rank: 49
• No. 42: Tennessee (50.57)
  • Cost rank: 18
  • Access rank: 30
  • Outcomes rank: 46

WalletHub's methodology

To determine the best and worst states for health care, WalletHub said it compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three dimensions: cost, access and outcomes.

The company evaluated those categories using 44 metrics. For cost, it examined factors such as the price of a medical visit, the cost of a dental visit and the average monthly insurance premium. To measure access, WalletHub considered metrics including the quality of a state's public hospital system, hospital beds per capita, average emergency room wait times, physicians per capita and the share of insured adults and children. For outcomes, the company analyzed factors such as infant mortality, child mortality, maternal mortality and life expectancy.

Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the best health care at the most reasonable cost. WalletHub then calculated a weighted average for each state to produce an overall score and ranking.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California ranks low for healthcare affordability, report finds