Washington State ranks among top in the nation in health care access, quality

Washington State ranks seventh nationally in health care quality and access, according to the Commonwealth Fund’s 2018 Scorecard on State Health System Performance, which assesses all 50 states and the District of Columbia on more than 40 measures of access to health care, quality of care, efficiency in care delivery, health outcomes, and income-based health care disparities.

Washington ranks third in avoidable hospital use and cost, and continues to make gains in ensuring children and adults have access to health insurance.

Among the areas in which Washington improved the most:

• Home health patients who did not get better at walking or moving around
• Adults ages 19–64 uninsured
• Children ages 0–18 uninsured

Areas for improvement include adults with any mental illness reporting unmet need.

The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high-performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable.