JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The sizeable number of uninsured in Wyoming has helped boost the Equality State into the Top 25 of Worst Healthcare systems, according to a recent study.
24/7 Wall Street ranked the worst states by rate of uninsured, healthcare spending, adults in poor health, number of hospital beds and other metrics.
Wyoming came in 25th overall, owed, mainly, to its high rate of uninsured. Texas ranked as the state with the worst healthcare system.
- Wyoming
> Uninsured rate:12.3% — 6th highest
> Health care spending in 2019:$513 per capita — 2nd highest
> Adults in poor or fair health: 15.3% — 17th lowest
> Hospital beds: 3.5 per 1,000 people — 6th most
> Employee premium contribution, single coverage: $96 a month — 7th lowest
The healthcare system in Wyoming ranks worse than half of all other states in the country. This is due in large part to the fact that 12.3% of residents are not insured—the 6th highest percentage among states and well above the national uninsured rate of 9.2%. Uninsured Americans tend to have worse health outcomes as they often skip needed medical care because the costs can be too high without coverage.
Wyoming residents may also struggle to receive needed medical care due to a lack of doctors. There are just 68.2 physicians in the state per 100,000 residents, well below the concentration nationwide of 75.8 doctors per 100,000 residents.
