States reported to be failing in women's health

Women in Mississippi and Alabama fare worst, with about a third in each state reporting high blood pressure.

States with the lowest diabetes rates are Minnesota and Colorado, with 4.3 percent of women in Minnesota and 4.4 percent of women in Colorado having it. At the bottom are West Virginia at 11.1 percent and Mississippi at 10.6 percent.

Minnesota also has the lowest percentage of women without health insurance, with 9.1 percent of women uninsured. But this figure has risen since the 2004 report.

Texas ranks worst with 28.1 percent of women uninsured.

"Across the country, 18 percent of women lack health insurance. Among minority populations, those percentages are significantly higher," Waxman said.

She said states should move faster to adopt policies that support women's health. The full report is available at www.nwlc.org.