Georgia ranks near bottom of best states for health care
Georgia’s health care system continues to face significant challenges, according to WalletHub’s 2024 ranking of the Best & Worst States for Health Care. The Peach State finished among the bottom four for in quality and accessibility.
WalletHub’s study compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 44 metrics within three key dimensions: cost, accessibility and outcomes. Each metric was evaluated on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing optimal health care at the most reasonable cost. Metrics included “average emergency-room wait time,” “maternal mortality rate” and “cost of medical visit,” among others.
“Health care has two crucial components, cost and quality. The best health care in the nation isn’t helpful if it bankrupts the people who try to get it, and cheap health care isn’t worth paying for if it provides subpar or ineffective treatment,” WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said.
Georgia’s score was 48.61, putting it 48th overall. We ranked No. 32 for cost, No. 43 for outcomes and was dead last for access to health care.
Among key metrics, Georgia also ranked:
- 46th in hospital beds per capita
- 43rd in physicians per capita
- 41st in dentists per capita
- 48th in percentage of insured adults
- 44th in percentage of insured children
- 44th in percentage of adults with no dental visit in the past year
Despite these concerning rankings, Georgia showed some positive indicators:
- 18th in average monthly insurance premiums
- 16th in percentage of medical residents retained
For comparison, Minnesota claimed the top spot, followed by Rhode Island and South Dakota. Happe noted Minnesota’s strengths: “Minnesota is the best state for health care, boasting the highest number of convenient care clinics per capita. In addition, Minnesota has the fourth-lowest average out-of-pocket medical spending and sixth-lowest average monthly insurance premium. To top things off, Minnesota has one of the best public hospital systems in the country, and residents have a long average life expectancy.”
Addressing accessibility issues, increasing health care professionals and expanding insurance coverage appear to be critical areas for focus for Georgia.
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About the Author
Avery Newmark covers travel, wellness, events and trending news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. With a dual background in film production and journalism, Avery came to the AJC after working as a video editor. She enjoys film photography and live music in her free time. Reach her at avery.newmark@ajc.com.
