Forbes Advisor Finds Michigan Second Most Affordable State For Health Care

Forbes Advisor published a study of KFF data that finds Michigan second only to Hawaii as the state with the most affordable health care in the nation.  You should be skeptical of these stories, in part because Forbes is now a ChiCom front, and in part because weighting the chosen variables can dramatically affect outcomes.

The story is too long to reprise in total, but here is a taste:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/most-and-least-expensive-states-for-health-care-ranked/

The Most (And Least) Expensive States For Healthcare 2024
By Cassidy Horton, Kelly Anne Smith, Cassidy Horton, and Kelly Anne Smith - March 18, 2024

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

If you’ve ever felt the pinch of healthcare expenses, you’re not alone. Unexpected medical bills and the cost of healthcare services are the top two financial worries for Americans this year, according to a recent KFF health tracking poll. The poll found that 45% of adults are very worried about being able to afford unexpected medical bills, while 39% are very worried about their ability to cover the cost of healthcare services.

These financial fears have real-world consequences. The high cost of healthcare is leading some Americans to make tough choices—often at the expense of their health. Nearly two in five adults between the ages of 19 and 64 delayed or skipped healthcare services between 2022 and 2023 because they couldn’t afford it, a survey from The Commonwealth Fund found. This includes putting off doctor visits, medical procedures and prescription drug refills.

But the burden of healthcare costs isn’t distributed evenly across the country. In some states, residents face much steeper healthcare expenses, including higher premiums and deductibles, which make them more likely to delay medical care due to costs.

To shed light on where healthcare costs hit the hardest, our experts conducted an analysis comparing all 50 states and Washington, D.C. across nine key metrics. The findings of this study reveal which states are the most and least expensive for healthcare in 2024.

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Key Takeaways

• North Carolina ranks as the most expensive state for healthcare, while Hawaii is the most affordable.
• Six of the top 10 most expensive states for healthcare are located in the South: North Carolina, Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana.
• In contrast, the Pacific and West—Hawaii, Washington, California, Nevada and Oregon— account for half of the top 10 most affordable states for healthcare.
• Texas residents are the most likely in the nation to report forgoing a doctor’s visit in the past 12 months due to cost (16%).

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Top 5 Most Affordable States For Healthcare

1. Hawaii

Hawaii’s score: 0 out of 100

Hawaii sets the benchmark for having the most affordable healthcare in the U.S. It earned a perfect score of 0 on our healthcare cost ranking index and boasts the lowest percentages and costs in several key metrics:

• Hawaii records the lowest percentage of adults who chose not to see a doctor at some point in the past 12 months due to cost (5.7%).
• It also has the lowest percentage of adults reporting 14 or more mentally unhealthy days a month who could not see a doctor due to cost (11.6%).
• Hawaii boasts the lowest average premium for residents with single health insurance coverage through an employer ($911 annually).
• It also has the lowest average deductible for residents with single health insurance coverage through an employer ($1,310 annually).
• Hawaii has the second lowest percentage of children whose families struggled to pay for their child’s medical bills in the past 12 months (5.7%).
• Hawaii residents with family health insurance coverage through an employer pay the second lowest average deductible ($3,115 annually).
• Hawaii has the third lowest average premium for residents with plus-one health insurance coverage through an employer ($3,654.67 annually).
• It boasts the fourth lowest average premium for residents with family health insurance coverage through an employer ($5,373.67 annually).

2. Michigan

Michigan’s score: 6.37 out of 100

Michigan emerges as the second most affordable state for healthcare. Its key metrics include:

• Michigan residents pay the lowest annual premium for both plus-one health insurance coverage ($3,475.67) and family health insurance coverage ($4,703) through an employer.
• The state also boasts the fourth lowest health insurance premium for those with silver plans in the Affordable Care Act marketplace ($354.33 annually).
• Michigan has the fifth lowest annual deductible for both family health insurance coverage ($3,350.33) and single health insurance coverage ($1,687.33) through an employer.
• It also ranks sixth lowest for the percentage of adults reporting 14 or more mentally unhealthy days a month who could not see a doctor due to cost (16.8%)......