Health of Wisconsin Report Card

December 2016

The Health of Wisconsin Report Card measures the state’s progress towards meeting two overarching goals of the Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 State Health Plan: (1) to improve health for all and (2) to eliminate health disparities.

As part of its mission to translate research for policy and practice, the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has prepared the Health of Wisconsin Report Card, providing all Wisconsinites with a useful assessment of the state’s health. The first Health of Wisconsin Report Card was released in 2007; updated versions were prepared in 2010 and 2013.

Wisconsin’s grade for overall health has remained the same since 2007 – a B-. The health disparities grade has changed, however, from a C- in 2010, to a D in 2013 and 2016. This change indicates that Wisconsin needs to do more to reduce health disparities. As with the previous versions, the Health of Wisconsin Report Card 2016 draws attention to weaknesses in efforts across Wisconsin to promote the health of all residents.

With the exception of working-age adults, Wisconsin’s death rates have fallen for every age group examined in the report. However, death rates in other states also continue to improve. Thus, Wisconsin’s improvement did not result in a higher grade, as our progress has not outpaced other states.

Since 2013, progress in many areas may lead to reduced disparities in the future, including improvements in:

• Death rates among children living in rural counties

• Death rates for working-age and older adults with a level of education equal to high school or less

• Death rates for female older adults

• The number of unhealthy days for working-age adults with lower levels of educational attainment (equivalent to some college or technical school or less) and those of Asian or Hispanic/Latino race/ethnicity

• The number of unhealthy days for all older adults

Despite these improvements in death rates and quality of life measures for Wisconsin, substantial gaps remain between the healthiest and least healthy subgroups in the state’s population. These gaps result in an overall health disparity grade of D. Engaging Wisconsin communities, leaders and partners across sectors statewide will be necessary to reach the State Health Plan goals of improved health for all and the elimination of health disparities.

The Health of Wisconsin Report Card 2016 can be accessed via the link below.