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UnitedHealthcare - America's Health Rankings

Posted at 2:41 PM, Dec 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-16 14:41:28-05

The United Health Foundation recently issued its “America’s Health Rankings 2021 Annual Report.” The report includes new, publicly available data, examining 81 measures from 30 unique sources, and paints a complex and nuanced picture of America’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maryland did well across several key metrics, including:

  • Smoking has decreased 14% between 2019-2020
  • Air pollution is down 19% between 2015-2017 and 2018-2020
  • Multiple chronic conditions decreased 17% between 2018 and 2020
  • We’re also seeing a low prevalence of excessive drinking
  • A low prevalence of frequent physical distress
  • And a low prevalence of high-risk HIV behaviors

There are also some areas to improve on:

  • The data also shows high racial disparity in high school graduation rates
  • Suicide rates increased 19% between 2015-2019
  • A high violent crime rate: Maryland ranks 40/50 in the nation

You can read the report here.