Survey: Most New England states at bottom of heap when it comes to doctors

Hard to believe, but only Vermont and Maine escaped being listed as among the worst 10 states for doctors in a recent survey.

The personal finance website WalletHub report released on Wednesday had New Hampshire ranked 42nd, Connecticut 44th, Massachusetts 46th and Rhode Island dead last.

The best state was found to be Montana.

The report was timed to come out with National Doctors' Day coming up on Tuesday.

To identify the best states for those in the business of saving lives, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 19 key metrics. The data set ranges from the average annual wage of physicians to hospitals per capita to the quality of the public hospital system.

Best vs. Worst:

• Mississippi has the highest average annual wage for surgeons (adjusted for cost of living), $313,267, which is two times higher than in the District of Columbia, the lowest at $156,238.
• Idaho has the lowest number of physicians per 1,000 residents, 0.71, which is 8.9 times lower than in the District of Columbia, the highest at 6.31.
• Florida has the highest projected share of the population aged 65 and older by 2030, 27.08 percent, which is two times higher than in Utah, the lowest at 13.21 percent.
• Nebraska has the lowest annual malpractice liability insurance rate, $4,532, which is 8.3 times lower than in New York, the highest at $37,718.

To view the full report and your state or the District's rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for-doctors/11376