Mississippi's health metrics worsen

People dying early. Health insurance rising, along with the obesity rate. Even before COVID-19, the state of Mississippi's health care system, and outcomes, were deteriorating under multiple metrics, according to a report by The Commonwealth Fund. The health research group's "Scorecard on State Health System Performance" ranked Mississippi No. 51 - below every other state and Washington, D.C. Data researchers was before the pandemic kicked in. "Prior to the pandemic, Americans were living shorter lives and racial disparities in health care were increasing," Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal told reporters Sept. 10. "There is little doubt that the pandemic has exacerbated these and other weaknesses in our health care system." Mississippi stood out among states performing the worst, according to researchers: West Virginia, Missouri, Nevada and Oklahoma. Several metrics that worsened in recent years were rising employee insurance costs, fewer adults visiting the dentist, more people dying from extended stays in a hospital, and more visiting hospitals for preventable reasons. (Source: Commonwealth Fund 09/10/20) Regional Note: Louisiana ranked #44, Florida #41, and Alabama #40. https://2020scorecard.commonwealthfund.org/