Last week, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio released their 2021 Health Value Dashboard, which showed that Ohio now ranks 47th out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. on health value, down from 46th in 2020. The report attributes Ohio’s poor rank to lack of attention and action in treating childhood adversity and trauma, inequities and systemic disadvantages, and a lack of investment in public health infrastructure leading to missed opportunities for prevention.
Infographic from HPIO’s report.
“Ohioans are living less healthy lives and spending
more on health care than people in most other states.”
The HPIO report also highlights inequities faced by Black Ohioans, Hispanic/Latino(a) Ohioans, Ohioans with Disabilities, and Ohioans with less education and lower income, both among health outcomes and access, and among socio-economic outcomes.
The Equity Profiles in the report are stark, and show that Ohio has far to go to combat racism, discrimination, ableism, and widespread lack of access. To name just a few of these startling numbers, infant mortality is 2.8 times worse for Black Ohioans, and the rate of uninsured adults is 2.8 times worse for Hispanic Ohioans. Adult depression is 3.6 times worse for Ohioans with disabilities, and an inability to seek care due to cost is 2.6 times worse for Ohioans with disabilities. Uninsured rates are 6.6 times worse, and prenatal care is 3.7 times worse for Ohioans with less than a high school education.
Infographic from HPIO report.
According to the HPIO report, it’s also estimated that life expectancy in the U.S. dropped by 1.1 years in 2020, which amounts to the largest decline in a single year in more than 40 years. The decline in life expectancy for Latino and Black Ohioans, however, declined much more drastically, down 3.1 years for Latino Ohioans and down 2.1 years for Black Ohioans.
Read HPIO’s report HERE to learn more about the very real impact of racism on the health and well-being of Ohioans.
by: Sarah Hudacek, AOF Policy Assistant