Data Graphics

With wildfire smoke from Canada causing air quality warnings in many states, data from HPIO’s 2023 Health Value Dashboard shows that Ohio was already lagging behind most other states on metrics related to outdoor air pollution (as displayed in the graphic above).

Inhaling polluted air (e.g., wildfire smoke), even in amounts lower than current National Ambient Air Quality Standards, increases the likelihood of poor health outcomes. Longer exposure to polluted air further increases negative health outcomes, which include effects on:

• Maternal and infant health
• Lung, heart and cognitive conditions
• Cancers

Analysis of Dashboard data finds that the physical environment, which includes outdoor air quality, has a stronger correlation with the overall health of a state than access to care. This suggests that improving environmental conditions, like air quality, can improve the health and well-being of Ohioans.

HPIO’s 2023 Health Value Dashboard includes, for the first time, an equity profile for LGBTQ+ Ohioans. Among the data highlighted in the profile is that LGBTQ+ adults in Ohio are much more likely to be diagnosed with depression than their heterosexual and/or cisgender peers, as displayed above.

Homophobia and transphobia are primary drivers of poor outcomes experienced by LGBTQ+ Ohioans, the Dashboard states. Experiencing these forms of discrimination can cause toxic stress, leading to poor health outcomes over time. Thus, LGBTQ+ Ohioans often experience worse outcomes than heterosexual and/or cisgender Ohioans across measures of health and the social environment. Policies and practices that limit access to necessary health care and a lack of protections for Ohioans based on sexual orientation and gender identity contribute to worse health outcomes for LGBTQ+ people compared to their heterosexual and/or cisgender peers.

As national celebrations begin for Pride Month, it is important to note that there are evidence-informed strategies that Ohio leaders can adopt to improve health disparities for LGBTQ+ Ohioans. By ensuring access to developmentally appropriate care, improving provider education and including sexual orientation and gender identity in anti-discrimination laws, Ohio can close gaps in health outcomes for LGBTQ+ Ohioans.

HPIO has updated data first included in its January Health Value Dashboard policy brief, “A closer look at outdoor air pollution and health.”

The updated 2020 data (the most-recent year for which data is available) shows that racial disparities persist in exposure to air pollution, with the index of exposure for Black Ohioans being almost 1.5 times higher than white Ohioans, as displayed in the graphic above.

Much of that difference can be explained by historic zoning policies and redlining that placed industrial plants and highways closer to predominantly Black neighborhoods and prohibited Black people from moving to areas farther away from these sources of pollution.

These policies increased both past and present risk of exposure to air pollution for Black Ohioans. Similar policy decisions made by federal, state and local officials left Black neighborhoods with less maintenance services (e.g., garbage removal and street cleaning) and without green spaces like parks. Because of these discriminatory policies and their lasting impact, people of color across the U.S. and in Ohio are exposed to higher levels of harmful air pollution.

As stakeholders across the country mark Mental Health Awareness Month, HPIO’s recently released 2023 Health Value Dashboard found that one way health value in Ohio can be improved is by fostering mental well-being. Ohio leaders can build on lessons learned from the response to the addiction crisis over the past decade to make Ohio a national leader in behavioral health.

Dashboard data shows that rates of overdose deaths and suicides vary by county (as illustrated above). To support resilience, well-being and recovery in Ohio, the state can target and tailor resources where they are needed most.

“Across the U.S. and in Ohio, the toll of behavioral health crises continues to rise, including increases in drug overdose and suicide deaths,” According to the Dashboard. However, the state does have strengths upon which to address the issue. “The state has also improved overall access to care over the past decade, which is an important advantage to getting more Ohioans the help they need.”

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has released the tenth edition of Ohio Medicaid Basics, a primer that provides an overview of the Medicaid program in Ohio.

The 2023 edition includes information on Medicaid eligibility, covered groups and services, delivery systems, financing, spending and recent policy and programmatic changes. In addition to giving an overview of the program, the brief details recent changes, such as Medicaid continuous coverage and redetermination, implementation of the Next Generation of Ohio Managed Care initiative and extension of postpartum coverage, as well as describes how the changes affect enrollment and spending.

Ohio Medicaid provides healthcare coverage for about 3.6 million Ohioans (30% of the state’s population, as displayed in the graphic above), most of whom are children, older adults, people with disabilities and adults with low incomes who could not otherwise afford private or employer-sponsored health insurance. The program represents a significant share of government spending in Ohio. In state fiscal year 2022, federal and state expenditures on Medicaid accounted for about 39% of Ohio’s budget, with 73% of the fund coming from the federal government.

HPIO has released Medicaid Basics every two years since 2005.

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has released the latest edition of its biennial Health Value Dashboard, which found that Ohio ranks 44 on heath value compared to other states and D.C. (as displayed in the graphic above).

That means that Ohioans are living less healthy lives and spending more on health care than people in most other states.

The Dashboard is designed for policymakers and other public- and private-sector leaders to examine Ohio’s performance relative to other states, track change over time and identify and explore health disparities and inequities in Ohio. The report also highlights evidence-informed strategies that can be implemented to improve Ohio’s performance.

With more than 100 data metrics, the report can be a valuable tool as Ohio’s leaders continue to develop the state’s biennial budget over the next two months.

In the fifth edition of the Dashboard, HPIO identified three specific areas of strengths on which Ohio can build to create opportunities for improved health value in the state:

• Strengthen Ohio’s workforce: Ohio can build upon recent success in attracting employers in high-growth industries to strengthen the workforce and reduce poverty
• Foster mental well-being: Ohio can build upon expertise with, and community response to, the addiction crisis to become a national leader in behavioral health
• Improve healthcare effectiveness: Ohio can build upon strengths in access to care to reinvigorate approaches to improving outcomes and controlling healthcare spending