Report: Income doesn't guarantee good healthcare

High-income people who live in states that generally do poorly in healthcare are worse off than low-income people in states with high healthcare scores, according to a Commonwealth Fund study released Wednesday. The study results find there are often two Americas when it comes to healthcare, divided by geography and income. But having a low income does not necessarily mean worse care experiences or health. The report finds for all but six indicators, the experiences of low-income individuals in top-performing states exceeded the national average for all incomes. And for half the indicators, including receipt of medications that put health at risk, potentially preventable hospitalization, infant mortality, smoking and obesity, the leading states' rates for their low-income populations were better than those of higher-income populations in other states. Report