Seniors in Hawaii are healthier than in any state except Minnesota, with good access to medical care and the nation’s lowest rates of obesity and hip fractures, according to a national report released Wednesday by United Health Foundation.

Hawaii climbed to No. 2 in the America’s Health Rankings Senior Report, up one notch from the first Senior Report released last year by the nonprofit organization. Minnesota was the healthiest state for seniors, while Mississippi was the least healthy.

In December the Aloha State was ranked No. 1 for the health of its overall population by the foundation in its long-running annual assessment of the states.

The new senior report analyzed 34 measures of health, from smoking to flu vaccinations to the percentage of seniors in poverty.

The report found that more than 96 percent of Hawaii seniors have a dedicated health care provider, and the state has the best supply of geriatricians and the lowest rate of preventable hospitalizations in the country.

Dave Heywood, United Healthcare community plan president in Hawaii, said the state’s high rank reflects hard work on the part of many people.

"That’s thanks to, first, the health care providers and the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services and the health plans, as well," Heywood said.

Hawaii also had a head start with an employer mandate to provide health insurance dating back to 1974, which has benefited people who have grown old in the state, he noted. "Many, many people have been covered in Hawaii for many years, more so than on the mainland," he said.

Hawaii has the second-lowest rate of smoking among seniors, in part due to education efforts by the state, he noted. It also had the lowest rate of premature death, or mortality among people ages 65 to 74.

As people age they can become isolated socially, which appears to be a problem in Hawaii. The state had the lowest percentage of adults ages 65 and up who reported receiving the social and emotional support they needed on a regular basis, according to Centers for Disease Control survey data. Nonetheless, Hawaii seniors had the lowest rate of depression, at 8 percent.

When nearing the end of life, the report found, Hawaii seniors are less likely than others to take advantage of hospice care, which can ease their path at home or elsewhere. Hawaii’s rate of seniors using hospice care in the last six months of life was one of the lowest in the nation, but the rate did rise over the past year to 36 percent from 22 percent.

"There is a big opportunity for health care providers, doctors, hospitals and health plans to really educate and get information to seniors in terms of what their resources are," Heywood said. "There are a lot of resources out there, whether directly related to health care or related to social, recreational or community-type services."

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