Accessing affordable, high-quality healthcare is a challenge for Americans nationwide.
In fact, nearly one third of Americans lack access to primary care and more than one third of Americans (38%) say they or a family member postponed medical treatment in 2022 due to cost, according to recent reports from the National Association of Community Health Centers and Gallup.
With National Healthcare Quality Week in full swing (October 15 to 21), Forbes Advisor compared all 50 states across 24 metrics to uncover the worst states for healthcare.
Forbes Advisor found that South Carolina ranks fifth among the worst states for healthcare.
Top 5 Worst States for Healthcare:
- Georgia: The Peach State is home to the second highest percentage of residents who chose not to see a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost (15.50%) and the third highest percentage of residents who lack health insurance coverage (12.63%).
- Alabama: Alabama employers cover the lowest percentage of employees’ annual health insurance premiums on average (73.42% for employees with single coverage). The Yellowhammer State also has the second highest rate of both stroke deaths and influenza and pneumonia deaths.
- North Carolina: North Carolina has the fifth lowest number of nurse practitioners (4.28 per 10,000 state residents) and North Carolinians with single health insurance coverage through an employer pay the eighth highest premium on average ($1,847 annually).
- Mississippi: The Magnolia State ranked worst in the nation for several outcome-related metrics, including infant mortality rate, stroke mortality rate, influenza and pneumonia mortality rate and kidney disease mortality rate.
- South Carolina: The Palmetto State has the second lowest number of nurse practitioners (3.48 per 10,000 state residents) and the fifth highest infant mortality rate (6.93 deaths per 1,000 live births).