By: Hristina Byrnes, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square
The U.S. healthcare system operates differently from many others in the world, characterized by high costs for the individual. In fact, it is because of the higher prices of medications, treatments, and hospital procedures that the U.S. spends more on health care per capita than any other developed country in the world, a 2019 Johns Hopkins report found.
Though expensive, the health care cost is to a large extent covered by the government. In 2019, 29.0% of all health-related spending in the U.S. was paid for by the federal government. A slightly lower share, 28.4%, was paid for by households. State and local governments covered 16.1% of the total cost.
The U.S. healthcare system operates differently from many others in the world, characterized by high costs for the individual. In fact, it is because of the higher prices of medications, treatments, and hospital procedures that the U.S. spends more on health care per capita than any other developed country in the world, a 2019 Johns Hopkins report found.
Though expensive, the health care cost is to a large extent covered by the government. In 2019, 29.0% of all health-related spending in the U.S. was paid for by the federal government. A slightly lower share, 28.4%, was paid for by households. State and local governments covered 16.1% of the total cost.
To identify how much each state spends on your health, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the detailed health care expenditures by state governments provided by the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 Annual Survey of State and Local Finances. This is how much the government of every state spends per resident. This is how much the government of every state spends per resident.
| State | State spending on health per capita | Health spending as % of total spending | Population 65 and older | Population with a disability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | $1,046 | 17.7% | 17.4% | 12.6% |
| Nebraska | $1,203 | 20.9% | 16.1% | 12.0% |
| Georgia | $1,262 | 26.0% | 14.3% | 12.6% |
| Nevada | $1,272 | 22.5% | 16.2% | 12.3% |
| Connecticut | $1,371 | 17.4% | 17.6% | 11.9% |
| Idaho | $1,380 | 23.6% | 16.2% | 13.7% |
| New Hampshire | $1,450 | 22.1% | 18.6% | 13.1% |
| Florida | $1,451 | 32.0% | 20.9% | 13.7% |
| Illinois | $1,504 | 20.6% | 16.1% | 11.5% |
| Texas | $1,509 | 29.0% | 12.9% | 11.5% |
| North Carolina | $1,588 | 27.3% | 16.7% | 13.2% |
| Tennessee | $1,623 | 33.0% | 16.7% | 15.5% |
| Oklahoma | $1,676 | 26.2% | 16.1% | 16.1% |
| Arizona | $1,676 | 29.7% | 18.0% | 13.2% |
| Colorado | $1,680 | 25.8% | 14.7% | 10.6% |
| Utah | $1,712 | 25.1% | 11.4% | 9.3% |
| Wyoming | $1,817 | 16.9% | 17.1% | 13.4% |
| North Dakota | $1,849 | 19.5% | 15.8% | 11.4% |
| Alabama | $1,859 | 26.9% | 17.4% | 15.9% |
| Indiana | $1,894 | 30.6% | 16.1% | 13.5% |
| Michigan | $1,900 | 24.9% | 17.7% | 14.3% |
| Virginia | $1,944 | 29.4% | 15.9% | 12.2% |
| South Carolina | $1,966 | 28.9% | 18.2% | 14.2% |
| Maine | $1,986 | 28.9% | 21.3% | 16.2% |
| Maryland | $2,028 | 26.5% | 15.9% | 11.2% |
| Wisconsin | $2,098 | 29.0% | 17.5% | 11.8% |
| Washington | $2,110 | 27.7% | 15.9% | 12.7% |
| New Jersey | $2,142 | 24.1% | 16.6% | 10.3% |
| Montana | $2,192 | 30.0% | 19.5% | 13.5% |
| Missouri | $2,217 | 38.9% | 17.2% | 14.7% |
| Kansas | $2,257 | 33.6% | 16.4% | 13.5% |
| West Virginia | $2,345 | 27.4% | 20.5% | 19.8% |
| Pennsylvania | $2,370 | 29.6% | 18.7% | 14.0% |
| Oregon | $2,375 | 25.4% | 18.2% | 14.7% |
| Hawaii | $2,401 | 24.9% | 19.0% | 11.9% |
| Vermont | $2,430 | 21.3% | 20.1% | 15.1% |
| Iowa | $2,434 | 32.2% | 17.5% | 11.8% |
| Minnesota | $2,436 | 27.7% | 16.3% | 10.8% |
| Arkansas | $2,522 | 33.8% | 17.4% | 17.5% |
| Ohio | $2,527 | 33.2% | 17.5% | 14.0% |
| Mississippi | $2,561 | 34.9% | 16.4% | 16.8% |
| Louisiana | $2,621 | 34.7% | 16.0% | 15.9% |
| Rhode Island | $2,890 | 32.3% | 17.7% | 13.1% |
| Kentucky | $2,919 | 36.2% | 16.9% | 17.9% |
| Delaware | $2,988 | 29.1% | 19.5% | 13.8% |
| Massachusetts | $3,082 | 31.5% | 17.0% | 11.5% |
| California | $3,109 | 32.7% | 14.8% | 10.6% |
| Alaska | $3,150 | 19.2% | 12.4% | 11.7% |
| New Mexico | $3,405 | 33.3% | 18.0% | 16.0% |
| New York | $3,698 | 33.7% | 16.9% | 11.6% |
