Ten States Dying for Health Coverage and the 7 Republican states on the list that don't give a damn

[Art_from_Ark]

10. Merely being "insured" is no guarantee you'll get "health care"

For example, having a $5000 deductible does not provide much incentive to go in for regular check-ups. And most health insurance plans don't include dental, even though dental problems can lead to health problems.

Nevertheless, looking at the county data for Arkansas, I see that Benton County, in the extreme northwest, has the highest life expectancy for both males and females (more than a year above the Number 2 county, in both cases). Benton County, home to Wal-Mart and a major retirement community, is one of the richest counties in the state, and it may be logical to assume that there is greater than average health care insurance coverage there.

What is interesting with the Arkansas data is that except for Benton County, there is quite a bit of discrepancy between rankings for male and female life expectancy. In the Top 15 (of 75) for females are both rich and poor counties, but most of them tend to be in the mountainous northern tier, especially toward the west. On the other hand, the top 15 for men are spread a little more evenly around the state. However, most of the bottom-ranking counties tend to be in the relatively flat areas in the south and, particularly, the east, which is a major production area for rice, cotton, soybeans and milo.