Health ranking puts Nevada near bottom

By Cy Ryan (contact)

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009 | 10:42 a.m.

CARSON CITY – Nevada ranks high in the number of drivers using seatbelts. But it’s at or near the bottom nationally in such health issues as the number of nurses or the number of children who receive preventive medical and dental care.

Nevada also has the worst percentage of children enrolled in Medicaid and the lowest percentage of children who are immunized.

The rankings were compiled by the Nevada Academy of Health, which gathered them from such groups as the Congressional Quarterly Press, the Commonwealth Fund, Kaiser Family Foundation, the Nevada Demographer and United Health Foundation.

The academy was created by the 20007 Legislature to study issues related to health care in Nevada and set goals and make recommendations to improve care here. It’s due to expire June 30th unless the Legislature renews it. Former state Sen. Joe Heck, R-Las Vegas, sponsored the bill creating it and had put in a bill request to renew it but he was defeated in his bid for reelection.

“We hope to keep it alive,” said a spokesman for the state Department of Health and Human Services. The academy never got an appropriation from the Legislature in 2007 but received administrative support from the health and human services agency.

The report, put together by biostatisticians Jay Kvam and Alicia Hansen of the state Health Division, shows how Nevada ranks against the other states.

Nevada is third in the nation with 94.8 percent of motorists buckling up. But it’s last in the nation in high school graduation with 55.8 percent of those who started ninth grade completing high school.

Only 66.7 percent of children were immunized, the worst when compared to other states. The highest is New Hampshire at 93.2 percent.

Nevada is next to last with 572 nurses per 100,000 population, only ahead of Arizona at 546.

State health spending was 1.9 percent of the gross state product, or 48th worst in the nation. Nevada was last in the nation in children enrolled in Medicaid with 14.5 percent of its youngsters in the program that provides medical care for low income families. And the state was next to last in the nation for adults signed up for Medicaid at 3.6 percent.

Forty six percent of children received medical and dental preventive care and that put Nevada as 50th worst in the nation. Maine recorded the best percentage at 74.9 percent.

Nevada however was ninth in the country for health insurance premium per private employee at $3,874. The best was Arkansas at $4,379. And Nevada had the lowest diabetes death rate among blacks at 24.6 per 100,000 population.

Cy Ryan may be reached at (775) 687 5032 or cy@lasvegassun.com.