The Commonwealth Fund released the 2023 Scorecard State Health System Performance report, examining quality healthcare access and affordability by state.
Around 13 percent of the 230 million people in the U.S. with credit report cards in February 2022 had medical debt collections, with Southern states reporting the highest rates of medical debt. People with medical debt may have inadequate insurance or coverage gaps.
Here are the 18 states with the highest percentage of people with medical debt.
1. Indiana: 16 percent
2. Mississippi: 16 percent
3. New Mexico: 16.1 percent
4. Delaware: 16.3 percent
5. Alabama: 16.4 percent
6. Missouri: 16.4 percent
7. Kansas: 16.8 percent
8. Wyoming: 16.8 percent
9. Kentucky: 17.1 percent
10. Georgia: 17.3 percent
11. Tennessee: 17.6 percent
12. Arkansas: 17.8 percent
13. Louisiana: 18.1 percent
14. Texas: 18.8 percent
15. North Carolina: 20.3 percent
16. Oklahoma: 21.5 percent
17. South Carolina: 22.3 percent
18. West Virginia: 24 percent