This Is Where Oklahoma’s Health Care System Ranks in the US

The U.S. health care system faced new levels of scrutiny in the past year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There were shortages of medical masks, ICU beds, as well as nurses. But even before the pandemic, some states were much better equipped to handle both everyday health needs — and the pandemic — than others.

There are many states in which residents are much more likely to lack health care insurance. In many of these states, there are also fewer medical professionals relative to the population, which can hinder access to care, as well as underfunded medical hospitals.

The health care system in Oklahoma ranks as the 14th worst in the country.

Oklahoma’s health care system faces more challenges than most other states – 20.9% of adults in the state reported feeling in fair or poor health, higher than in all but seven other states. Oklahomans are also more likely to lack health insurance and access to health care.

The uninsured rate in the state is 14.3%, the second highest in the U.S. There are also just 60.9 doctors per 100,000 residents, the fifth lowest ratio in the nation and well below the national concentration of 75.8 doctors per 100,000 residents.

Oklahoma has the sixth highest premature mortality rate in the country, at 456.6 deaths before age 75 per 100,000 residents. Nationwide, the premature death rate is less than 340 per 100,000.

To identify the states with the worst health care systems, 24/7 Wall St. constructed an index comprising six health measures for each state: the share of residents without health insurance, state spending on health care as well as on hospitals per capita, and the number of dentists, doctors, and mental health providers per 100,000 people. Each of these measures was weighted equally in the index. These are the 25 states with the worst health care system

RankStateUninsured rateAdults in poor or fair healthPremium contribution, single coverageState spending on health care per capita25Wyoming12.3%15.3%$96.25$51324Delaware6.6%16.3%$127.92$48023Montana8.3%14.1%$93.50$16722Missouri10.0%19.5%$109.83$33221Nebraska8.3%13.8%$112.58$15120Illinois7.4%15.9%$115.17$9719Kentucky6.4%21.8%$121.08$9818North Dakota6.9%13.6%$98.50$18817South Carolina10.8%17.8%$111.58$24716North Carolina11.3%18.0%$115.92$16415West Virginia6.7%23.6%$113.08$16014Oklahoma14.3%20.9%$115.25$22313South Dakota10.2%13.4%$120.17$17812Louisiana8.9%21.4%$122.08$10111Alabama9.7%21.4%$132.75$11710Arkansas9.1%23.3%$104.42$589Florida13.2%19.5%$120.17$2258Idaho10.8%15.1%$73.08$1047Tennessee10.1%21.2%$119.25$1116Indiana8.7%18.2%$121.67$905Nevada11.4%19.1%$104.58$934Mississippi13.0%22.1%$109.08$1333Arizona11.3%18.6%$126.92$812Georgia13.4%18.4%$108.25$1191Texas18.4%18.7%$112.92$109

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