We didn't think the percentage of residents who don't have health insurance is what they meant by 'everything is bigger in Texas.'
We didn't think the percentage of residents who don't have health insurance is what they meant by"everything is bigger in Texas.
"of the worst states to live in America, and the Lone Star State proudly claimed the No. 2 slot. We lost the gold to Tennessee, which is either a crushing disappointment or a small mercy, depending on how competitive you are about being terrible. Somewhere, a Nashville publication is writing a much more smug version of this article. Our final tally: 78 out of 290 possible points.
That’s a grade of F, for those of you who can’t be bothered to do the math. And before anyone reaches for the “fake news liberal media” starter pack, know that this is CNBC, the network that plays stock tickers like elevator music and blames a slow economy on millennials and Gen Z buying iced coffee. If Texas has a specialty, it’s making sure you can’t see a doctor.
We lead the entire nationat 16.7%, more than double the national average. We don’t do things halfway around here, apparently, for better or worse. About 17% of Texas adults skipped a needed doctor’s visit last year because they simply couldn’t afford it. And if you do manage to hang onto your insurance card, good luck finding someone to hand it to.
Texas finishes dead last in primary care physicians per capita. Gov, Greg Abbott, ever the hero of the moment, rode in with $56 million in federal grants for rural hospitals — federal money, mind you, from the same government he’s made a career out of railing against. Split across the roughly 31 million people who call this place home, that works out to about $1.80 per Texan. Abbott called it “state-of-the-art treatment for everyone.
” A whole dollar and eighty cents each. That’s not healthcare — that’s a vending machine strategy, so don’t spend it all in one waiting room. Every villain gets a redeeming quality, and CNBC generously found two for us: childcare and air quality. Air quality.
That’s the one they gave us. In a state where summer feels like being slow-cooked in a smoker, our reward is that the air is technically breathable while you sit in a two-hour DFW traffic jam with the A/C gasping for its life. Frame it. Hang it in the living room.
The rest of the scorecard reads like a group project nobody wanted to be part of: crime, inclusiveness, worker protections and reproductive rights all landed in the loss column. Five weaknesses, two strengths, one very confused sense of state pride. So, the message is crystal clear: this is a fantastic place to run a company and a rough place to actually be a person.
Come for the low taxes, stay because you can’t find a physician to sign off on your travel plans. We’re building an economy so strong that its workers can’t afford to get sick in it. Truly the Dallas dream. None of this will change a single thing, of course.
Texans have a proud tradition of hearing bad news and responding with “well, don’t move here then. ” So, we’ll keep our silver medal, keep our beautiful, breathable air, and keep telling ourselves everything is bigger here, including the asterisks. No paywall. Always accessible.
We’re always watching out for you and our community — but we need your help to keep us going strong. Help keep Dallas Observer free and in print every week. has been a journalist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2010. He has contributed to several media outlets, including 92.1 KTFW, the. As a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, he is actively involved in media critique.
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