Report: Texas is Dead Last in Health Care

The DHS 2011 State Snapshots measured the state's strengths and weaknesses in more than 150 categories.  It judges disease prevention efforts, deaths from various conditions as well as infant mortality and suicides, cancer treatment, and how well health care providers manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and patients with incurable conditions.

The report shows Texas is weak in almost everything related to health care, and has the lowest cumulative score of all 50 states.

A DHS researcher told the Austin American-Statesman it's no coincidence that Texas ranks last in health care quality, when you remember that Texas also has the highest rate of uninsured people in the country. Dr. Ernest Moy of DHS says the hope is that this report will motivate Texas policy makers and providers to improve the quality of care.

Almost every medium-sized to big city in Texas, and a good many small towns, can boast having large well-staffed public and private hospitals and clinics, and medical communities to staff them, yet, DHS says the quality of the care they deliver is the worst in the country.

Remembering the "bad relations" between many Texas officials and the Department of Health and Human Services over Medicaid funding, abortion funding for Planned Parenthood and other divisive issues, one is tempted to say this report carries the faint but distinct smell of election year politics.