—
The results of research done by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute didn’t come as much of a surprise to those of us in southern West Virginia.
The findings revealed counties in our region suffer from poorer health and shorter life expectancy than our fellow West Virginians in the northern part of the state.
Specifically cited was the plight of McDowell County residents where access and affordability to health care were among the top list of concerns. Many residents have no health coverage at all. Others have only limited coverage. Many residents with private insurance cited high co-payments, high deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses as prohibitive to seeking regular health care.
These individuals most often do not receive health care until something catastrophic happens. Unfortunately, in cases involving heart disease or strokes, the crisis visit to the emergency room may be too late to save the individual’s life.
Based on an evaluation of all 55 counties, the two organizations ranked McDowell County 55th on the list, followed by Mingo, which came in at 54th.
Joining McDowell County with the expectancy of poorer health outcomes were Logan, Wyoming, Boone, Lincoln, Mason and Wayne.
These counties have higher-than-average rates of smoking and obesity and see more premature deaths than the rest of the state.
Northern counties not only rank higher in better health outcomes; they rank higher in healthy lifestyle behaviors.
The disparity involves many factors, including social, economic, educational, lifestyle and health access issues.
The report underscores what we’ve known all along. It will take a multifaceted approach to solve the health care dilemma in the southern part of the state. It will take a combination of money, more affordable and accessible health care, better education, healthier lifestyles and a stronger economy to cure all that ails southern West Virginia.
