States Voting for Gore Are Healthier, Report Finds

The 20 states that Vice President Al Gore won in the Nov. 7 election are "far healthier" on average than the 29 states that supported Texas Gov. George W. Bush (R), the Washington Post/Modesto Bee reports. An annual report by the United Health Care Group examined each state based on such factors as smoking prevalence, heart-disease risk, motor vehicle deaths, quality of prenatal care, number of uninsured citizens and days missed from work. Each state received a score ranging from 23.0, for New Hampshire, to -18.8, for Mississippi. Gore's states averaged 6.77, while Bush's states averaged -1.73. The still-contested Florida came in 43rd, with a health rating of -11 (Washington Post/Modesto Bee, 12/6). To view a copy of the state rankings, go to http://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/sr2000/index.html.