Posted: Friday, July 6, 2012 4:00 am | Updated: 7:37 am, Fri Jul 6, 2012.

Texas ranks among the worst in the nation in health care services and delivery, according to an annual scorecard issued by the federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. Two local state lawmakers hold out little hope the situation will improve.

In nine out of 12 categories, Texas rated weak or very weak. The only area in which Texas earned the average ranking of good was in maternal and child health care measures. Out of a possible 100 points, Texas earned 31.61, while Minnesota, the highest-ranking state, scored 67.31.

We need health care reform, said state Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who acknowledged the federal study and a lineup of similar rankings consistently place Texas at or near the bottom in taking care of its own.

Hughes does not envision the recently court-approved national health care plan boosting the states standings on the federal scorecard.

We desperately need health care reform, but what is offered to us is anything but, he said.

The federal agency identified 155 areas in which it could compare the quality of health services across the country, such as infant mortality and obesity rates.

Researchers used that data to generate national and regional averages for each area, and they then compared each state to the national and regional averages to generate a score.

The report is designed to help politicians, policy makers, private insurers and state and federal agencies identify strengths and weaknesses in state health care programs.

State Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, wasnt convinced the state should be in the health care business in the first place.

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Report: Texas health care among nation's worst