New report ranks US states on health care quality delivered to women
The Commonwealth Fund released data on women’s health and reproductive care, according to a 2024 state scorecard designed to track trends in women’s health.
In the report, investigators measured the performance of the health care system with regards to health outcomes, health care quality and prevention, and health care coverage, access and affordability in every U.S. state. They then ranked each state on the basis of the three measures.
For instance, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island had the highest performing health care systems for women, whereas Mississippi, Texas and Nevada had the lowest rankings.
The investigators revealed that the rate of death from preventable causes has continued to rise, further entrenching racial disparities — particularly among low-income women — in the rates of maternal and breast cancer- and cervical cancer-related mortality.
Variances across states following changes to COVID-19 pandemic Medicaid coverage has left millions of women newly insured or with gaps in their coverage. Because 10 states have not yet expanded Medicaid eligibility to health and reproductive services, an estimated 800,000 of women may be uninsured.
According to the report, insufficient medical coverage may limit women’s access to care and place community health centers at risk of closure. Further, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported that approximately 41% of births were covered by Medicaid, and only 28% of pregnant patients with Medicaid received preventive dental care. In addition, maternal periodontitis increased the risk of any maternal complication by 19%.
The Commonwealth Fund hopes its scorecard can identify policies that may affect women’s overall health and access to care and evaluate how the health care system is addressing the needs of women in each U.S. state.
Read more: The Commonwealth Fund
The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.