TEXAS — While Texas ranks high when it comes to its economy and as a business destination, the same cannot be said for the quality of its health care for children. WalletHub recent ranked the states for children's health care. While the Lone Star State didn't rank dead last, it landed at a disappointing 49.
WalletHub looked at factors including the percentage of children with excellent/very good health, the percentage of uninsured children, infant-death rate, the percentage of children whose families have unaffordable medical bills, the percentage of overweight and obese children and pediatricians and doctors per capita.
Texas has the highest number of uninsured people in the country, and that extends to children as well. For children's access to health care, Texas was ranked at No. 50.
A high coverage rate persists across the United States, with approximately 95% of children protected by some form of health insurance. The cost of insurance has also remained steady as an estimated 48% of insured adults said they are worried about affording their monthly health insurance premium.
In Texas, more than a million children from low-income families lost their Medicaid coverage last spring.
When comparing the percentage of uninsured children in U.S. states, Texas takes the lead while Massachusetts ranks lowest for minors without insurance, according to WalletHub.
The Lone Star State also has the highest percentage of children with unaffordable medical bills, with Rhode Island claiming the most affordability.
Northeastern states ranked high. Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island and New Jersey were among the top five best states for children’s health care overall.