States with the highest preventable death rates: Commonwealth Fund

Mississippi had the most preventable deaths per 100,000 residents in 2020 and 2021, according to the Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard.

The "2023 Scorecard on State Health System Performance" rankings were based on 58 measures of healthcare access, quality, use of services, costs, health disparities, reproductive care and women's health, and health outcomes. Preventable deaths included those attributed to COVID-19 and firearms-related mortality.

All states experienced increases in avoidable deaths between 2019 and 2021, according to the Commonwealth Fund. Five states — Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas — experienced more than a 35 percent increase in mortality rates. Meanwhile, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Utah, New Jersey and Minnesota had the fewest preventable deaths.

Here are the states with the most preventable deaths per capita between 2020 and 2021:

1. Mississippi
   
   
2. West Virginia
   
   
3. Oklahoma
   
   
4. Arkansas
   
   
5. Tennessee
   
   
6. Louisiana
   
   
7. Kentucky
   
   
8. Washington, D.C.
   
   
9. New Mexico
   
   
10. Alabama