The Best and Worst States for Health Care Cost, Access and Outcomes

Providence, RI – August 5: COVID-19 vaccines rest on a table at Bucklin Park in Providence, RI on Thursday, August 5, 2021. The Rhode Island Department of Health partnered with Providence 02907 Health Equity Zone (HEZ) and other community partners to host vaccination clinics on Thursday to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts as part of Providence’s Vaccination Day of Action. (Photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Providence, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Health partnered with Providence 02907 Health Equity Zone (HEZ) and other community partners to host vaccination clinics on Thursday to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts as part of Providence’s Vaccination Day of Action. (Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The coronavirus pandemic placed new burdens on the American health care system, forcing many to take on additional spending for testing, at-home and hospital treatment. But even without the added stressor of the pandemic, Americans have been struggling to shoulder health care costs – with the average American spending over $12,500 on personal health care each year, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

To assess the disparities in health care access and quality across states, WalletHub – a personal finance website – released a report ranking the best and worst states for health care, comparing the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on cost, access and outcomes.

The report found major differences in health care quality across states. For instance, Mississippi has the highest rate of infant mortality across the U.S. (eight per 1,000 live births), while Vermont has the lowest. While California has the highest share of at-risk adults without a routine doctor visit in the past two years, West Virginia has the lowest share.

These are the 10 best states for health care, according to WalletHub:

1. Rhode Island
2. Massachusetts
3. Hawaii
4. Minnesota
5. Maryland
6. Vermont
7. Colorado
8. Connecticut
9. Maine
10. Iowa

These are the 10 worst states for health care, according to WalletHub:

51. Mississippi
50. Alabama
49. Louisiana
48. Oklahoma
47. Arkansas
46. West Virginia
45. South Carolina
44. Texas
43. Georgia
42. Tennessee

Despite the high premiums that Americans have to pay for health care and the differences in health care quality between states, Jean Bae, an associate professor at New York University’s School of Public Health, still advises Americans to “get insured.”

“Studies have shown over and over again that health insurance, despite the associated upfront cost of premiums, is an effective way to manage financial risks associated with health care and improves health outcomes, which ultimately help reduce the risk of future health care expenditures,” she said in a statement.