Colorado Health Insurance

State Rankings

Colorado has a reputation as being one of the healthiest states in the country, and the rankings are only further proof of its overall good health. As you would expect from such a rugged and active population, the obesity rate in Colorado is the lowest in the country at only 21% of residents, according to UnitedHealth. Colorado is also top ten in preventable hospitalizations and air pollution. Other statistics indicate high quality healthcare in Colorado as well.

The state is well within the top half of states in smoking rate, infectious disease, and the number of children in poverty. Additionally, public health funding in Colorado is very good at $89 per person. Strangely, Colorado still has several low statistics that stick out. Its high school graduation rate is only 75%, or 30th in the country, and early prenatal care and immunization coverage for young children are both in the bottom half of all states. Colorado healthcare, then, still has plenty of room to improve on its already good overall health.

Colorado Healthcare

As the determinants would imply, health outcomes in Colorado are very good. Not only is the rate of obesity the lowest in the country, the diabetes rate is second lowest at only 6% of Coloradans. Cardiovascular deaths and cancer deaths are also fourth and third lowest, respectively. The only knock against healthcare in Colorado is the overall geographic disparity. Getting access to quality healthcare is a problem in Colorado, as well as most western states, because of the sheer size of the state.

This difficulty of access is apparent in Colorado's uninsured rate, which currently stands at 14%, an oddly high statistic for such an otherwise healthy state. Overall, though, ample opportunities for outdoor activities, low air pollution, and low obesity has led to excellent healthcare in Colorado. Colorado residents have a wide range of healthcare plans that are rated highly by the NCQA: