A new Commonwealth Fund scorecard that measures health system performance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia shows that the combined death rate from suicide, alcohol, opioids, and other drugs increased by 50 percent nationwide between 2005 and 2016. Mortality rates for treatable medical conditions also rose, reversing a decade-long downward national trend. Gaps in mental health care are pervasive as well. On the plus side, the ability to obtain affordable health care improved, with states that expanded eligibility for Medicaid experiencing the biggest gains from 2013 to 2016.
An interactive state scorecard digital report can be obtained at http://www.commonwealthfund.org/interactives/2018/may/state-scorecard/files/Radley_State_Scorecard_2018.pdf.