28.4% of Louisiana adults have unpaid medical bills, study finds

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.

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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