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Analysis: Utah has the No. 2 health care system in the United States

Utah rates the cheapest health care premiums, and the highest percent of employer coverage.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Utah Department of Health suits up as it prepares to test staff of West Jordan Care Center for the coronavirus on Thursday, May 21, 2020. The testing is part of a plan to test staff at all long-term care facilities, with centers for memory patients and the intellectually disabled receiving priority.

Utah has the second-best health care system in the United States, according to a new analysis.

The analysis, by modular “cleanroom” manufacturer Mecart, indicates Utah has the highest percentage of employers who provide insurance and the lowest annual premium costs in the country.

Each state was scored 1-to-10 on a number of factors, including number of hospitals per kilometer, number of staffed beds per capita, average emergency room wait times, annual health care premium costs and annual premium cost changes compared to 2020.

Utah had the cheapest average annual health care premiums of any state, $4,836; the highest percentage of employer coverage, 61%; and was No. 11 for health care access.

The Beehive State was just behind No. 1 Rhode Island, which was No. 1 for health care quality, No. 3 for access to health care, and No. 3 for overall hospital quality.

Overall, Utah ranked well above neighboring states — Colorado was No. 13, Wyoming was No. 25, Idaho was No. 36, New Mexico was No. 38, Arizona was No. 43, and Nevada was No. 46.

Georgia was last on the list of overall health care systems, with the second-highest percentage of people who are unable to afford insurance coverage. It was also No. 49 on health care access and No. 44 on health care quality.

Hawaii (No. 5 overall) was first for health care access. Texas (No. 40 overall) was last in that category. Alaska (No. 42 overall) came in last for health care quality.

Best health care systems in America

1. Rhode Island

2. Utah

3. Massachusetts

4. Minnesota

5. Hawaii

6. North Dakota

7. Wisconsin

8. Iowa

9. South Dakota

10. Connecticut

11. Nebraska

12. Pennsylvania

13. Colorado

14. Kansas

15. Vermont

16. Maryland

17. New Hampshire

18. Montana

19. Maine

20. Michigan

21. Illinois

22. New Jersey

23. Missouri

24. Ohio

25. Wyoming

26. Virginia

27. Washington

28. New York

29. Delaware

30. West Virginia

31. Oklahoma

32. Oregon

33. Louisiana

34. California

35. Indiana

36. Idaho

37. Alabama

38. New Mexico

39. Florida

40. Texas

41. Tennesee

42. Alaska

43. Arizona

44. Kentucky

45. Arkansas

46. Nevada

47. South Carolina

48. Mississippi

49. North Carolina

50. Georgia