Per Capita Public Health Spending

Per Capita Public Health Spending measures the dollars per person that are spent on public or population health in a state.  High spending on these health programs are indicative of states that are proactively implementing preventive and education programs targeted at improving the health of at-risk populations within a state.   

This measure includes expenditures in three categories as defined by the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO): 

Direct Public Health Care Services: Includes local health clinics, Ryan White AIDS Grant expenditures, and American Indian health. Expenditures may include funds spent on pharmaceutical assistance for the elderly, childhood immunization, chronic disease hospitals and programs, hearing aid assistance, adult day care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease, health grants, services for medically handicapped children, the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program, pregnancy outreach and counseling, chronic renal disease treatment programs, AIDS testing, breast and cervical cancer screening, tuberculosis (TB) programs, emergency health services, adult genetics programs and phenylketonuria (PKU) testing. 

Community-Based Services Health Expenditures: State funds spent on health services provided in a community setting. Examples include rehabilitation services, alcohol and drug abuse treatment, mental health community services, developmental disabilities community services, and vocational rehabilitation services. These expenditures do not include funds spent on services eligible for Medicaid reimbursement, which are reported under Medicaid. 

Population Health Expenditures: Includes programs such as AIDS and other STD control, screening, outreach, and monitoring, including data collection and registries, immunization, including the cost of vaccine and infrastructure only, infectious disease control, including analysis and monitoring, emerging infections, microbiology lab services, food and lodging licensing and inspection, food safety and inspection, fish consumption advisory, pest eradication (such as rats, roaches, and mosquitoes), and veterinary diseases affecting the food chain, such as mad cow disease. 

Table 29 displays the 2006 ranks, based on 2003 data (National Association of State Budget Officers).  It ranges from more than $400 per person in Alaska and Hawaii to less than $75 per person in Iowa, Arkansas, Idaho and Utah.  The data has not changed from the 2005 Edition.

 


Table 29 - Per Capita Public Health Spending

ALPHABETICAL BY STATE

RANK ORDER

2006 RANK
(1-50)

STATE

$/PERSON

SCORE

2006 RANK
(1-50)

STATE

$/PERSON

SCORE

20

Alabama

$159

-2

1

Hawaii

$499

114

1

Alaska

$482

114

1

Alaska

$482

114

44

Arizona

$81

-50

1

Wyoming

$354

114

49

Arkansas

$64

-61

4

New York

$316

95

29

California

$132

-19

5

Montana

$293

81

41

Colorado

$92

-43

6

Minnesota

$249

54

16

Connecticut

$173

7

7

Pennsylvania

$247

53

8

Delaware

$246

52

8

Delaware

$246

52

27

Florida

$143

-12

9

New Jersey

$231

43

28

Georgia

$138

-15

10

South Carolina

$219

35

1

Hawaii

$499

114

11

Mississippi

$197

22

48

Idaho

$70

-57

12

Illinois

$190

17

12

Illinois

$190

17

12

Nebraska

$190

17

34

Indiana

$117

-28

12

Maryland

$189

17

50

Iowa

$59

-64

15

Texas

$179

11

39

Kansas

$95

-41

16

North Dakota

$174

7

36

Kentucky

$112

-31

16

Oregon

$174

7

33

Louisiana

$121

-25

16

Connecticut

$173

7

21

Maine

$158

-3

19

Rhode Island

$168

4

12

Maryland

$189

17

20

Alabama

$159

-2

26

Massachusetts

$150

-7

21

Maine

$158

-3

24

Michigan

$154

-5

21

New Hampshire

$158

-3

6

Minnesota

$249

54

23

Nevada

$155

-4

11

Mississippi

$197

22

24

Michigan

$154

-5

25

Missouri

$153

-6

25

Missouri

$153

-6

5

Montana

$293

81

26

Massachusetts

$150

-7

12

Nebraska

$190

17

27

Florida

$143

-12

23

Nevada

$155

-4

28

Georgia

$138

-15

21

New Hampshire

$158

-3

29

California

$132

-19

9

New Jersey

$231

43

29

Oklahoma

$131

-19

35

New Mexico

$113

-30

31

North Carolina

$128

-21

4

New York

$316

95

32

Ohio

$127

-22

31

North Carolina

$128

-21

33

Louisiana

$121

-25

16

North Dakota

$174

7

34

Indiana

$117

-28