US and Alaska As the Worst, Based on 44 Metrics Across Cost, Access, and Outcomes for All 50 States and the District of Columbia

The analysis drew on data from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CDC, and other institutions. Alaska had the second-highest average monthly insurance premiums, ranking 51st in cost, 20th in access, and 41st in outcomes. Mississippi ranked 32nd in cost, 40th in access, and 51st in outcomes, with the highest infant mortality rate and third-fewest physicians per capita.

Georgia ranked 49th in access due to the third-lowest percentage of insured adults, and placed 37th in cost and 43rd in outcomes. Texas had the lowest percentages of insured adults and children, ranking 50th in access, 46th in cost, and 39th in outcomes. West Virginia ranked 41st in cost with the highest average monthly insurance claim, 19th in access, and 47th in outcomes, driven by high rates of cancer, stroke, and heart disease.

Alabama ranked 14th in cost, 48th in access, and 45th in outcomes, with few physicians and dentists per capita. Louisiana placed 35th in cost, 13th in access, and 48th in outcomes, with high infant mortality and cancer rates. New Mexico ranked 31st in cost, 44th in access, and 40th in outcomes, with the lowest cancer rate but the highest percentage of at-risk adults lacking routine doctor visits.

Arkansas ranked 49th in outcomes, 15th in cost, and 26th in access, with the second-highest mortality rate. Tennessee ranked 18th in cost, 30th in access, and 46th in outcomes. Oklahoma placed 16th in cost and 44th in outcomes. The average American spent $15,474 per person on healthcare in 2024, comprising 18% of GDP.