South Carolina – South Carolina ranks lowest among the states in the latest health evaluations published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with regard to life expectancy. With South Carolina ranked 42nd out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the 2021 data, public health concerns in South Carolina prompt for immediate action.
With a life expectancy of 73.5 years, Palmetto State residents have a far lower life expectancy than those of Hawaii, which leads nation-wide with 79.9 years. South Carolina is thus several years behind the state with the highest life expectancy. Moreover, the situation is much more dire for men from South Carolina, whose life expectancy is at 70.4 years, less than Mississippi’s general lowest state life expectancy of 70.9 years.
With a life expectancy of 76.7 years, which ranks 43rd nationally, the situation is not much better for women in South Carolina. These numbers fit a larger trend of health-related issues the state deals with.
Different health indicators also mirror the state’s underperformance. The United Health Foundation ranked South Carolina 33rd in cardiovascular health in 2022; the CDC ranked it 36th for heart-related death. Mental Health America assigned the state a rather better score—22nd—for brain health.
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Complicating matters is the state’s healthcare system, which falls behind most of the nation. Though this statistic does not fully describe South Carolina, 2019 numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that there was one hospital for every 15,940 persons, a better ratio than the national average. Reports from Becker’s Hospital Review in February revealed a severe lack of easily accessible primary care providers for every 100,000 people in South Carolina. The data shows that there are 128 primary care doctors per 100,000 residents.
The South Carolina Office of Rural Health also notes that six rural hospitals closed in South Carolina starting in 2010. This retreat from rural healthcare facilities most certainly aggravating the problems with healthcare access all over the state.
The demographic issues are also significant; South Carolina has a higher median age than the national median, indicating an aging population that would call for more frequent and extensive healthcare treatments. This element, along with South Carolina’s status among the 10 least healthy states by the United Health Foundation in 2022, creates an alarming picture of health and lifespan in the state.
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State health authorities, legislators, and community leaders should work together to help addressing these challenges by improving healthcare access, raising the quality of health services, and increasing the state’s life expectancy numbers. Right now, South Carolina’s health sector requires quick and decisive interventions.
