Forty-three.
Forty-three out of 51. That's where Florida sits on the spectrum of WalletHub's "Best And Worst States For Health Care" study. And, before we go any further, let me reiterate that spot 43 leans heavily toward the worst states side of the scale.
Sure, more Americans have access to health care in this day and age, but cost and service quality can vary widely from from coast to coast and state to state.
The overall health of the population, more advanced medical equipment and a general lack of awareness regarding the best types of treatment, for instance, can all drive up costs.
Today, the average American spends nearly $10,000 per year on personal health care, and that figure is expected to increase over time. But, let's keep in mind:
HIGHER HEALTH CARE COSTS DON'T ALWAYS TRANSLATE TO BETTER RESULTS
To determine where in the country Americans receive the best and worst health care, WalletHub compared the 50 states and D.C. across 35 measures of cost, accessibility and outcome.
We've skipped over states ranking in the middle to hone in on our Sunshine State.
As per Wallet Hubs results, this is where Florida tilted the scale -- whether good or bad -- to come up with an overall rank of 43:
- GOOD: Florida ranks fourth highest in nation for "% Medical Residents Retained"
- BAD: Florida ranks 50th in the nation for "% Insured Adults Aged 18 - 64"
- BAD: Florida ranks 47th in nation for "% Insured Children Aged 0 - 17"
Florida ranked somewhere in the middle, as opposed to either extremity, in a number of other categories, including Heart Disease Rate, Cancer Rate, Infant Mortality Rate, and Most Physicians Per Capita, among others.
Cost. Access. Outcome. Thoat are the three key dimensions that analysts at WalletHub used to determine their Health Care rankings across the nation.