Population health rates and care quality levels vary significantly across the country, new data from the Commonwealth Fund shows.

 By Jennifer Bresnick

July 15, 2016 - Much of the nation gets a passing grade for care quality, access, and overall population health, according to new data from the Commonwealth Fund, but striking differences in performance, outcomes, and affordability of basic services persist between geographical regions.

Patients who live in the highest-performing areas of the country are up to thirteen times more likely to experience satisfactory care than those at the other end of the spectrum, the report said, and broad variations in insurance coverage rates persist even after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

“Many communities are showing signs of getting healthier, and that is encouraging,” said Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal, MD.  Nearly all communities included in the survey improved more often than they worsened, indicating overall positive progress towards healthier lives for patients.