Which states spend the most on healthcare?

Personal healthcare spending varies by state, ranging from approximately $7,522 to $14,007.

Personal healthcare expenditures, which comprise the largest share of total national health expenditures, refer to spending on goods and services relating directly to patient care. According to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC), this includes expenses for hospital care, physicians’ and dentists’ services, prescription drugs, eyeglasses, and nursing home care. Various actors, including private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and regular citizens, often combine to pay these expenses.

California spent the most on healthcare in 2020 at $405.5 billion. The state paid nearly $135 billion more than New York, the next highest state, and over 63 times the amount spent by Wyoming, the state that spent the least. However, California ranked 23rd for healthcare spending per capita.

Which states have high personal healthcare spending?

California spent $405.5 billion or 12.1% of total spending on personal healthcare — funds spent directly on health services — in 2020, the latest year with available data on state-level healthcare spending. New York, Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania also ranked as top healthcare-spending states in 2020, with expenditures of $270.8 billion, $246.8 billion, $214.4 billion, and $148.3 billion, respectively. However, California, Texas, Florida, and New York were also the four most populous states in 2020.