The share of adults in Louisiana with unpaid medical debts is now 28.4 percent, the eighth highest level among all 50 states, according to a recent analysis by the website 24/7 Wall St.
The median Louisiana medical debt that has been assigned to collections agencies was $697, the analysis said. The state has an uninsured rate of 8 percent, and 21.1 percent of its adults are rated in fair or poor health, according to the 24/7 Wall St. report.
Nationwide, 22.7 percent of U.S. adults have medical debts that are past due, according to the study, which is based on a 2018 analysis published by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
The high cost of health care remains a key concern for Americans because medical bills are a factor in about 66 percent of personal bankruptcies, according to 24/7 Wall St.
States with lower shares of residents dealing with unpaid medical bills tend to have lower uninsured rates and higher annual incomes, the study found.
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Medical Debt Burdens Among the 50 States
| Rank | State | % of Adult Population With Unpaid Medical Bills | Median Medical Debt in Collections | Uninsured Rate | Adults in Fair or Poor Health |
| 1 | Mississippi | 40.9% | $813 | 12.1% | 22.2% |
| 2 | South Carolina | 31.4% | $787 | 10.5% | 19.1% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 31.2% | $680 | 6.4% | 24.1% |
| 4 | Georgia | 29.9% | $808 | 13.7% | 18.8% |
| 5 | Arkansas | 29.0% | $596 | 8.2% | 24.5% |
| 6 | Texas | 29.0% | $829 | 17.7% | 18.2% |
| 7 | Alabama | 28.7% | $801 | 10.0% | 21.4% |
| 8 | Louisiana | 28.4% | $697 | 8.0% | 21.1% |
| 9 | Delaware | 27.6% | $601 | 5.7% | 15.8% |
| 10 | Kansas | 27.2% | $735 | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| 11 | North Carolina | 27.0% | $698 | 10.7% | 17.6% |
| 12 | Missouri | 26.9% | $781 | 9.4% | 18.5% |
| 13 | Indiana | 26.8% | $761 | 8.3% | 17.7% |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 26.7% | $857 | 14.2% | 19.6% |
| 15 | Alaska | 26.1% | $1,316 | 12.6% | 13.4% |
| 16 | Maine | 26.0% | $729 | 8.0% | 15.4% |
| 17 | Montana | 26.0% | $768 | 8.2% | 13.9% |
| 18 | Kentucky | 25.8% | $459 | 5.6% | 21.3% |
| 19 | Tennessee | 25.6% | $855 | 10.1% | 19.1% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 24.7% | $1,252 | 10.5% | 15.1% |
| 21 | New Hampshire | 24.6% | $458 | 5.7% | 13.6% |
| 22 | South Dakota | 24.5% | $542 | 9.8% | 11.8% |
| 23 | Ohio | 24.4% | $531 | 6.5% | 17.0% |
| 24 | Idaho | 23.9% | $790 | 11.1% | 15.3% |
| 25 | Vermont | 23.4% | $469 | 4.0% | 12.5% |
| 26 | Virginia | 23.1% | $680 | 8.8% | 15.9% |
| 27 | Nevada | 23.0% | $775 | 11.2% | 20.5% |
| 28 | Wisconsin | 22.6% | $1,015 | 5.5% | 15.4% |
| 29 | Iowa | 22.0% | $535 | 4.7% | 13.1% |
| 30 | Nebraska | 21.4% | $481 | 8.3% | 14.2% |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | 21.1% | $512 | 5.5% | 15.1% |
| 32 | Florida | 20.7% | $921 | 13.0% | 18.5% |
| 33 | North Dakota | 20.3% | $624 | 7.3% | 14.3% |
| 34 | Oregon | 20.3% | $647 | 7.1% | 15.8% |
| 35 | Michigan | 20.2% | $497 | 5.4% | 17.4% |
| 36 | Utah | 20.1% | $997 | 9.4% | 12.1% |
| 37 | Colorado | 19.8% | $755 | 7.5% | 14.3% |
| 38 | Illinois | 19.8% | $555 | 7.0% | 17.2% |
| 39 | Maryland | 19.1% | $498 | 6.0% | 13.9% |
| 40 | Arizona | 18.0% | $888 | 10.6% | 17.8% |
| 41 | New York | 17.7% | $446 | 5.4% | 16.1% |
| 42 | Washington | 17.7% | $559 | 6.4% | 13.9% |
| 43 | Minnesota | 17.3% | $360 | 4.4% | 12.0% |
| 44 | Rhode Island | 17.2% | $468 | 4.1% | 14.8% |
| 45 | Massachusetts | 16.5% | $354 | 2.8% | 13.8% |
| 46 | Connecticut | 16.2% | $441 | 5.3% | 13.8% |
| 47 | New Jersey | 16.2% | $510 | 7.4% | 16.5% |
| 48 | New Mexico | 15.1% | $731 | 9.5% | 20.8% |
| 49 | California | 14.3% | $740 | 7.2% | 17.5% |
| 50 | Hawaii | 13.4% | $232 | 4.1% | 14.0% |
Source: 24/7 Wall St.
This article was first published by The Center Square.
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