Source: Forbes Advisor

March 21. North Carolina is the most expensive state for healthcare, with the highest average premium for residents with “plus-one” health insurance coverage through an employer—$4,781 annually—according to a Forbes Advisor nationwide study.

We also have the second-highest average premium for family health insurance coverage through an employer at $7,180.33 annually.

Six of the 10 most expensive states for healthcare are located in the South: North Carolina, Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana.

To read the full study, click here.

Background

The high cost of healthcare is leading some Americans to make tough choices—often at the expense of their health. In fact, a survey from The Commonwealth Fund found that nearly two in five adults between the ages of 19 and 64 delayed or skipped healthcare services between 2022 and 2023 due to cost.

Methodology

Forbes Advisor compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C. across nine key metrics, including average annual premium(s), average annual deductible and percentage of adults who chose not to see a doctor.

North Carolina had the fifth-highest average deductible for residents with single health insurance coverage through an employer.

Hawaii

The most affordable state: Hawaii.

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 as well as 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).