Delaware has the highest percentage of facilities that scored perfectly on health equity measures, while New Hampshire has the lowest, according to CMS data.
The Health Equity-State used hospital commitment to health equity data, such as social determinants of health data, race, ethnicity, language, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation and disability status to determine access to equitable care and coverage. Facilities are ranked on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score. CMS then compiled a ranking of states based on the percentage of facilities that received each score.
However, this database is one that CMS is proposing to remove from its hospital inpatient quality reporting program. The agency outlined the changes April 11 as part of its 2026 proposed rules for systems receiving Medicare payment. CMS proposes to remove four measures:
- Hospital commitment to health equity
- COVID-19 vaccination coverage among healthcare personnel
- Screening for social drivers of health
- Screen positive rate for social drivers of health
Here are the 10 states with the highest and lowest percentage of facilities with a 5 out of 5 score.
Highest
Delaware: 100%
Maryland: 95%
Colorado: 93%
Utah: 92%
Tennessee: 91%
Rhode Island: 90%
New Jersey: 89%
Massachusetts: 88%
Minnesota: 88%
North Carolina: 87%
Lowest
New Hampshire: 33%
Wyoming: 36%
Idaho: 50%
Iowa: 51%
Arizona: 54%
Oklahoma: 56%
North Dakota: 57%
Kentucky: 60%
Michigan: 63%
Oregon: 63%
