States with the Best Home Health Care
10. Kansas
Average home health team performance score: 90.920
Average patient improvement score: 81.250
Number of Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A & B (2018): 402,718
Medicare beneficiaries as a share of the total population (2018): 18%
We’re kicking off in the heart of the midwest with Kansas’s strong home health team performance score of 90.92. Kansas’s scores for home health team performance and patient improvement are slightly above (by 2 points) or equal to the averages for the nation, respectively. The case of Kansas demonstrates how tight the ranges of these national measures are. However, given that Kansas’s share of Medicare beneficiaries within its population is also equivalent to the national average of 18 percent, its higher home health team performance score is still something to be proud of.
9. Arkansas
Average home health team performance score: 90.950
Average patient improvement score: 83.750
Number of Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A & B (2018): 490,161
Medicare beneficiaries as a share of the total population (2018): 21%
Arkansas is ninth in the nation for its home health team performance, beating out Kansas by a mere 0.03 points. With a share of Medicare beneficiaries that is 17 percent above the national average, Arkansas has one of the sixth-highest proportions in the nation (notably, equal to and tied with ten others). Arkansas has both specific Medicaid programs and waivers that allow eligible patients to participate in a cash-to-counseling model, meaning that patients can make independent choices for their care using a monthly allowance provided by these programs. Arkansas’s stellar home health team performance and patient improvement scores both suggest that their programs are successful and effective.
8. Louisiana
Average home health team performance score: 90.950
Average patient improvement score: 83.770
Number of Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A & B (2018): 626,227
Medicare beneficiaries as a share of the total population (2018): 19%
Down by the bayou, Louisiana’s home health programs are making a splash. As eighth in the nation, with a home health team performance score of 90.95, it’s clear that homebound patients in Louisiana are feeling adequately supported and aided by their home healthcare professionals. Because Louisiana and Arkansas are technically tied for home health team performance, Louisiana’s comparatively higher patient improvement score was factored in to define its ranking. While only slightly above the national average in its population’s share of Medicare beneficiaries, Louisiana’s high scores across the board are worthy of our recognition.
7. New Hampshire
Average home health team performance score: 91.125
Average patient improvement score: 79.900
Number of Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A & B (2018): 186,569
Medicare beneficiaries as a share of the total population (2018): 22%
It’s no surprise that New Hampshire should find its place in the ranks of the highest performing home health teams in the nation. New Hampshire has a comparatively older population, with 20.5% of its residents over the age of 65, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Additionally, New Hampshire is fifth in the nation for its population’s share of Medicare beneficiaries, which is in line with the insight that states with older populations may have scores that skew higher for home health team performance. New Hampshire’s patient improvement score is about two percent below the national average, perhaps in part due to existing conditions of its state-specific demographics. However, New Hampshire’s stats are excellent overall, making it an ideal place to “live free.”
6. Kentucky
Average home health team performance score: 91.175
Average patient improvement score: 82.220
Number of Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A & B (2018): 694,652
Medicare beneficiaries as a share of the total population (2018): 21%
Break out your derby hats for Kentucky’s home health teams! Kentucky’s score of 91.175 is the sixth highest in the nation, and its patient improvement score of 82.22 comes in at fourteenth. Like Arkansas and Kansas, Kentucky’s share of Medicare beneficiaries is also the sixth-highest in the nation, at three percentage points above average. Kentucky’s Medicaid coverage encompasses multiple home care options, including different waivers for aged and disabled populations. Kentucky’s A-rating for caring for its homebound populations is undoubtedly well-deserved.
5. West Virginia
Average home health team performance score: 91.180
Average patient improvement score: 84.380
Number of Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A & B (2018): 363,759
Medicare beneficiaries as a share of the total population (2018): 25%
Moving up in both altitude and home health team performance, the Mountain State holds the fifth spot in the rankings for states with the best home health care programs. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, West Virginia has the third-highest elderly population in the nation, with 20 percent of its population over the age of 65 and a median age of 42.8. This fact follows the trend of higher home health team scores corresponding to comparatively older populations, due to the targeting of elderly patients in home health settings. Additionally, West Virginia’s share of Medicare beneficiaries is one of the highest in the nation. However, the state’s success in its patient improvement and home healthcare metrics is still one to be specially acknowledged.
4. South Carolina
Average home health team performance score: 91.230
Average patient improvement score: 82.280
Number of Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A & B (2018): 687,742
Medicare beneficiaries as a share of the total population (2018): 21%
South Carolina is fourth in the nation for its excellent home health team performance, boasting a score of 91.23. With a relatively high share of statewide Medicare beneficiaries, equal to those of Kansas, Arkansas, and Kentucky at 21 percent, homebound patients in South Carolina evidently benefit and improve from their home health teams’ care. South Carolina also has the tenth-oldest population compared to other states, with 17.7 percent of residents over the age of 65. Based on the state’s high-scoring results in both home health team performance and patient improvement, South Carolina is not only meeting the expectation for at-home patient care, but exceeding it.
3. Alabama
Average home health team performance score: 91.260
Average patient improvement score: 85.730
Number of Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A & B (2018): 773,340
Medicare beneficiaries as a share of the total population (2018): 21%
With a performance score of 91.26, Alabama is our bronze winner for home health program efficacy. The state’s impressive 85.73 score for patient improvement comes in at second in the nation as well. By now, it’s clear that many of the states on the list are in the upper echelon for their proportion of Medicare beneficiaries within the population. Alabama is not an exception to this pattern, as its share is 21 percent, the same as four previous states on this list (Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky, and South Carolina). This trend that Alabama follows underscores how important accessibility to diverse healthcare options is for patients on Medicare — it seems as though homebound patients are overwhelmingly satisfied with the care provided by their home health teams.
2. Mississippi
Average home health team performance score: 91.325
Average patient improvement score: 85.800
Number of Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A & B (2018): 464,895
Medicare beneficiaries as a share of the total population (2018): 20%
Continuing through the south, Mississippi holds the second-highest score for home health team performance nationwide. Equally noteworthy, Mississippi’s patient improvement score is the highest of any U.S. state. Home health teams must be doing something right in this state, as these high statistics demonstrate successful convalescent care. Props to the Magnolia State for helping lead the nation in home health team performance and strong patient outcomes.
1. South Dakota
Average home health team performance score: 91.525
Average patient improvement score: 78.230
Number of Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A & B (2018): 126,751
Medicare beneficiaries as a share of the total population (2018): 20%
At the top of the nation, South Dakota gets the gold for its outstanding home health care administration. While surprisingly scoring slightly lower than average for patient improvement measures, South Dakota’s outcomes are still impressive. For a state with the fifth-lowest population density in the nation, it makes sense that home health care may be a more enticing option for residents, who are more likely to live farther away from healthcare facilities. Still, South Dakota can take this win as a recognition of its strong adaptability to its population’s needs.