Colorado ranked as the 16th-healthiest state in the nation this year, up one notch from a year ago, according to a report released Tuesday.
The state scored well for its low obesity rate, improved child-immunization coverage and a decline in smoking. Those strengths were offset by a relatively low percentage of women receiving prenatal care, a large number of uninsured people and meager spending by the state for health care.
The report titled “America’s Health Rankings: A Call to Action for People & Their Communities,” was released by United Health Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Minneapolis-based medical giant UnitedHealth Group. Two membership organizations, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention, collaborated on the study.
Bill Lindsay, a president of insurance brokerage Lockton Cos. of Colorado, said he was surprised the state didn’t fare better.
“Colorado has always been first or second (lowest) in diabetes and obesity,” he said.
Colorado has fared better in prior years, including top-10 finishes in 1997, 2000 and 2001.
This year, Minnesota ranked as the healthiest state for a fourth consecutive time, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Hawaii and Connecticut. The lowest-ranking states were Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas.
The annual study bases its analysis on a broad swath of measures, including the quality of medical care available, the amount of state funding provided and personal behaviors.
Colorado scored well with a low prevalence of obesity, about 18 percent of the population. By comparison, the national rate was nearly 25 percent.
Weak points for the state included a high rate of uninsured, about 17 percent of the population. Nationally, about 15.9 percent of the population lacks health insurance.
The number of uninsured in Colorado has soared 33 percent since 1990, the report found, to 770,000 statewide.
While often lauded as one of the fittest states in the U.S., Colorado – compared with many other states – funnels less money into government-funded programs such as Medicaid, said Jim Hertel, publisher of the Colorado Managed Care newsletter.
“Clearly, the report identifies areas where there could be increased activity by private companies and the state to improve Colorado’s rankings,” Hertel said. “But Colorado has always ranked above average in these types of comparisons.”
Nationwide, Americans’ health improved slightly from last year, the report concluded, but the rate of improvement has essentially been flat since 2000.
The report states that “the United States continues to trail other nations in important statistics such as life expectancy and infant mortality.”
“We as a nation are blessed with unparalleled resources and assets, and as such, it is troub ling that we are not making more significant progress in overall health improvements,” Dr. Reed Tuckson, senior vice president of United Health Foundation, said in a statement.
Staff writer Will Shanley can be reached at 303-954-1260 or wshanley@denverpost.com.
How healthy are we?
16 Colorado’s rank among the healthiest states
3 Years Colorado has been in the top 10: 1997, 2000 and 2001
18% Coloradans classified as obese
25% National obesity average
THE TOP 4 | MINNESOTA | VERMONT | NEW HAMPSHIRE | HAWAII
