United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings® Finds Michigan Ranks 30th Compared with Overall Health of Other States

• Michigan Ranks 30^th  in Overall Health, down two spots from last year’s Rankings

 • Overall U.S. health did not improve between 2010 and 2011, a marked drop from the average annual 1.6-percent rate of improvement seen in the 1990s

 • 2011 is the first year that no state had an obesity prevalence under 20 percent

The 2011 America’s Health Rankings®, released today by United Health Foundation in collaboration with the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention, finds that troubling nationwide increases in obesity, diabetes and children in poverty are offsetting improvements in smoking cessation, premature deaths, preventable hospitalizations and cardiovascular deaths. The report finds that the country’s overall health did not improve between 2010 and 2011 – a drop from the 0.5-percent average annual rate of improvement between 2000 and 2010 and the 1.6-percent average annual rate of improvement seen in the 1990s.

UnitedHealthcare watches America’s Health Rankings closely to help understand the health care needs of individuals and communities nationwide and in Michigan and has several programs in place designed to address these needs.

“America’s Health Rankings from United Health Foundation is an incredibly valuable tool for us to clearly understand health trends facing us as a nation and here in Michigan,” said Richard Gajdowski, M.D., medical director, UnitedHealthcare of Michigan. “By identifying the key opportunities we face as a state we can pursue innovative solutions to those opportunities.”

Michigan’s Bill of Health

According to the 22^nd Edition of America’s Health Rankings, Michigan is 30^th this year compared to 28^th in 2010 when compared with the health of other states. This year’s report finds that, just like every other state, Michigan has its share of strengths and challenges.

Michigan’s Strengths

 High immunization coverage

 High use of early prenatal care

 Low occupational fatalities rate

Michigan’s Challenges

 High prevalence of obesity

 High violent crime rate

 Low per capita public health funding

 High rate of infant mortality

UnitedHealthcare Programs Address Michigan’s Health Needs

UnitedHealthcare has several programs in place that seek to address the health needs underscored in this year’s America’s Health Rankings.

“While we celebrate the improvements our state has made in a variety of areas, we still have a long way to go to reverse the direction of many health trends,” said Dr. Gajdowski. “The good news is that there are programs and initiatives underway in Michigan that can benefit those looking to make positive, healthy changes to their way of life.”

• Obesity and Diabetes: This year’s Rankings identified that in the past five years, obesity increased from 26.2 percent to 31.7 percent of the adult population. Now nearly 2.4 million Michigan adults are obese. And in the past year alone, diabetes increased from 9.3 percent to 10.1 percent of the population; 761,000 adults now have diabetes. But programs including the American Heart Association’s Start! Walking Paths and UnitedHealth HEROES are helping steer Michigan adults and children in a healthier direction.

• To show its support for walking and fit communities, UnitedHealth Group made a three-year, $1.95 million commitment to support the American Heart Association’s Start! Walking Paths program.

• UnitedHealth HEROES is a service-learning, health literacy initiative designed to encourage young people to create and implement hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity in their own communities. Micro-grants of up to $1,000 are awarded to schools and community programs which demonstrate a clear understanding of the health risks associated with childhood obesity and propose creative solutions to combat obesity that can be easily implemented and measured.

• Public Health Funding: The United Health Foundation is currently funding six pilot programs through the National Business Coalition on Health to bring together the health, business, and non-profit sectors to address a public health challenge. This funding supplements what a local or state public health department is not able to provide.

• Infant Mortality: Infant outcomes are improved by preventing elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks gestation. UnitedHealthcare published survey data in a leading journal (Obstetrics & Gynecology) showing that most women believe it is safe to deliver prior to 39 weeks for convenience. UnitedHealthcare is working with Leapfrog and the March of Dimes to help educate women on why the last weeks of pregnancy are vital to delivering healthy babies.

All 50 States: Vermont Still the Healthiest

For the fifth year in a row, Vermont was the nation’s healthiest state. States that showed the most substantial improvement include New York and New Jersey, both moving up six places. Idaho and Alaska showed the most downward movement. Idaho dropped 10 spots, from number nine to 19 in this year’s Rankings, and Alaska dropped five places. 

Nationwide: Progress in Some Areas Offset by Setbacks in Others

This year’s Rankings highlight several positive nationwide trends. Improvements were made in:

• Smoking cessation: 17.3 percent of the population smoked in 2011, down from 17.9 percent in 2010 – a 3.4-percent decline since 2010; a 25.4-percent decline since 2001.

• Preventable hospitalizations: 70.6 preventable hospitalizations per 1,000 Medicare enrollees in 2011, down from 68.2 preventable hospitalizations in 2010 – a 3.4-percent decline since 2010; a 17.3-percent decline since 2001.

• Cardiovascular deaths: 270.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2011, down from 278.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2010 – a 2.8-percent decline since 2010; a 22.2-percent decline since 2001

While this year’s Rankings showed notable improvements, they were offset by troubling increases in:

• Obesity: From 26.9 percent of the adult population in 2010 to 27.5 percent in 2011 – a 2.2-percent increase since 2010; a 37.5-percent increase since 2001; 2011 is the first year when no state had an obesity prevalence under 20 percent.

• Diabetes: From 8.3 percent in 2010 to 8.7 percent in 2011 – a 4.8-percent increase since 2010; a 42.6-percent increase since 2001.

• Children in poverty: From 20.7 percent in 2010 to 21.5 percent in 2011 – a 3.9-percent increase since 2010; a 33.5-percent increase since 2001.

The fact that the country did not improve at all in overall health status means there was a total balance between improvements and detriments across all 23 measures. A compelling example of this stagnation is improvements in the number of smokers being off-set by worsening rates of obesity: the Rankings found that, for every person who quit smoking in 2011, another person became obese.

To see the Rankings in full, please visit: www.americashealthrankings.org.

About United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings®

America’s Health Rankings is an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state- by-state basis. It is published jointly by United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention.

The data in the report come from well-recognized outside sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Medical Association, FBI, Dartmouth Atlas Project, U.S. Department of Education and Census Bureau. The report is reviewed and overseen by a Scientific Advisory Committee, with members from leading academic institutions, government agencies, and the private sector.

America’s Health Rankings is the longest running report of its kind. For 22 years, the Rankings has provided an analysis of national health on a state-by-state basis by evaluating a historical and comprehensive set of health, environmental and socioeconomic data to determine national health benchmarks and state rankings. The Rankings employs a unique methodology, developed and annually reviewed by a Scientific Advisory Committee of leading public health scholars. For more information, please visit www.americashealthrankings.org.

About the United Health Foundation

Guided by a passion to help people live healthier lives, United Health Foundation provides helpful

information to support decisions that lead to better health outcomes and healthier communities.

The Foundation also supports activities that expand access to quality health care services for those in challenging circumstances and partners with others to improve the well-being of communities. After its establishment by UnitedHealth Group [NYSE: UNH] in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation, the Foundation has committed more than $193 million to improve health and health care. For additional information, please visit www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 38 million people and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.