Hawaii is home to the fewest preventable hospitalizations in the nation per 100,000 Medicare patients, whereas West Virginia most exceeds the national average of 2,770.
The 2020 data comes from HHS and are cited in United Health Foundation's latest "America's Health Rankings" report, which is the longest-running annual assessment of the nation's health on a state-by-state basis.
Preventable hospitalizations are here defined as discharges after hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (PQI 90) such as diabetes with short- or long-term complications, hypertension, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, angina without a procedure, dehydration, and urinary tract infection. Data points are discharges per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the fee-for-service program.
Here are the complete state-by-state rankings for preventable hospitalizations per 100,000 Medicare members:
1. Hawaii — 1,411
2. Idaho — 1,521
3. Utah — 1,523
4. Colorado — 1,540
5. Alaska — 1,624
6. Oregon — 1,776
7. Montana — 1,814
8. Washington — 1,870
9. New Mexico — 1,879
10. Arizona — 1,955
11. Wyoming — 2,205
12. California — 2,219
13. Vermont — 2,224
14. Maine — 2,295
15. Nebraska — 2,335
16. Minnesota — 2,340
17. Iowa — 2,395
18. Wisconsin — 2,452
19. South Dakota — 2,505
20. New Hampshire — 2,527
21. Maryland — 2,592
22. Rhode Island — 2,629
23. New York — 2,642
24. North Dakota — 2,666
25. Nevada — 2,679
26. Kansas — 2,691
27. South Carolina — 2,710
28. Connecticut —2,774
29. Virginia — 2,796
30. New Jersey — 2,885
31. Pennsylvania — 2,947
32. Texas — 3,032
33. Tennessee — 3,050
34. Missouri — 3,058
35. Delaware — 3,078
36. North Carolina — 3,102
37. Indiana — 3,129
38. Massachusetts — 3,144
39. Ohio — 3,158
40. Arkansas — 3,170
41. Florida — 3,182
42. Oklahoma — 3,222
43. Georgia — 3,255
44. Illinois — 3,280
45. Michigan — 3,306
46. Alabama — 3,633
47. Kentucky — 3,689
48. Mississippi — 3,714
49. Louisiana — 3,726
50. West Virginia — 4,041