Going by the price of being a patient, North Carolina and Hawaii bookend the other 48 states.
Which is to say that the Tar Heel State is the most expensive while the Aloha State is the most affordable.
That’s according to an analysis based on nine key metrics as conducted by Forbes Advisor. The authors drew most of their data from KFF, supplementing this with data from the CDC and Mental Health America.
The metrics rely heavily on health insurance premiums and deductibles for various demographics and employment statuses. Other metrics include rates of cost avoidance for physician visits and mental healthcare attention, along with rates of households struggling to pay for children’s medical care.
The list shows six of the 10 priciest states for healthcare are located in the South.
Meanwhile half of the 10 most frugal-friendly are concentrated in Pacific and Western parts of the country.
The state in which residents are most likely to skip doctor visits due to costs turns out to be Texas.
Here’s a look at the top and bottom of the list.
Most expensive states for healthcare:
- North Carolina (Avg. annual premium/deductible: $7,180/$4,062)
- South Dakota
- Nebraska
- Florida
- Texas
- South Carolina
- Arizona
- Georgia
- New Hampshire
- Louisiana
Most affordable states for healthcare:
- Hawaii (Avg. annual premium/deductible: $5,374/$3,115)
- Michigan
- Washington
- California
- Massachusetts
- Pennsylvania
- Nevada
- Washington, D.C.
- Oregon
- Kentucky
Forbes Advisor is a custom publishing operation. Along with independent editorial content, the present article offers links to sponsors’ sales pages.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.