Massachusetts: healthy but hard-drinking

Massachusetts is the nation's 6th healthiest state, up from 9th a year ago, according to the United Health Foundation's latest America's Health Rankings, released today. (Get a PDF of Massachusetts data here.)

The Bay State placed first in four categories: We have the lowest percentage of residents without health insurance, the lowest occupational death rate, the most primary care physicians per capita, and the least "geographical disparity" in health outcomes within a state. (How can anyone beat Delaware or Rhode Island?)

Our worst category: binge drinking, where we rank 39th (that is, the 39th lowest rate).

Vermont, Hawaii, and New Hampshire were named the healthiest states. Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina were at the other end of the continuum.