Minnesota ranked best in nation for health care, study finds

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota's health care system has long been recognized as one of the best in the country and a recent study has reinforced that viewpoint.

According to a WalletHub study published Monday , Minnesota's health care system is No. 1 in the nation, followed by Rhode Island and South Dakota.

The study compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key dimensions: cost, access and outcomes.

Minnesota was ranked second for cost, sixth for access and 11th for outcomes.

"Minnesota is the best state for health care, boasting the highest number of convenient care clinics per capita," WalletHub's financial writer, Adam McCann, said. "It's also relatively inexpensive to get health care in the state, as Minnesota has the fourth-lowest average out-of-pocket medical spending and the sixth-lowest average monthly insurance premium. Plus, the average dental visit costs less in only four other states."

Minnesota also has one of the country's best public hospital systems (No. 6) and life expectancy rates (No. 5). The study also notes the state's "extremely low maternal mortality rate" and relatively quick wait time at the emergency room (16 minutes).

As for Minnesota's other Midwest neighbors, the study ranked Iowa at No. 4, North Dakota at No. 11 and Wisconsin at No. 16.

Mississippi was ranked as the worst state for health care, followed by Alabama and West Virginia.