It's well-known that there is huge variation in health care quality among states. But this new study shows that even within states, the quality of care in seemingly related areas can vary significantly, too.
“One thing that came as a surprise was inconsistency in between states as opposed to just across states,” said Dr. Ana Fuentevilla, chief medical officer of UnitedHealth Community & State. “Clearly in a state like Mississippi, all three populations studied were challenged, but if you pick another state, this just isn't the case.”
There are some states where care is universally good or bad — Massachusetts, for example, does especially well in the rankings, and Mississippi does especially poorly.
