Colorado ranks 7th in the nation for healthcare across 40 key measures, but the Centennial State still struggles to get its most at-risk residents to the doctor, according to a new study.
The WalletHub study compared each U.S. state and the District of Columbia on cost, access and outcomes like the number of hospital beds per capita, life expectancy and average monthly insurance premium.
Colorado received the best marks for health outcomes, low cancer rates and low rates of heart disease. Where the state failed was getting people to the doctor. Only two states had a higher percentage of at-risk adults with no routine doctor visits in the past two years.
The poor score is likely a reflection of the difficulties western states have in bringing healthcare to rural communities. New Mexico, Oregon and Washington were all at the bottom of that list.