There are a number of ways to compare healthcare costs, including an interesting recent analysis by WalletHub and posted on the website VisualCapitalist.com. It looked at spending on doctor, dentist and optometrist visits plus the cost of ibuprofen and insulin as a percentage of the median household income in each state.

The findings?

Alaska ranks as the most expensive state, where residents spend more than 10% of the median monthly income on healthcare. Oregon ranked No. 2, with healthcare spending accounting for 9.3% of a household’s monthly income.

Utah was the least expensive. Healthcare spending in the Beehive State accounted for 5.1% of a household’s monthly income.

The analysis also found that the states with the highest healthcare prices aren’t always the ones where healthcare takes the biggest financial toll.

 For example, while many healthcare costs in California are higher than the national average, state residents also enjoy higher median household incomes. Consequently, health care spending in California accounted for about 5.6% of the average monthly income.

In Washington state, healthcare spending accounted for 7% of the median household income. In Idaho, it accounted for 7.8%.

“Even in the states with lower-than-average healthcare prices, residents’ incomes may not be enough to keep up with the cost, especially since virtually every part of Americans’ budgets have been impacted by inflation over the past few years,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo.

What about you? Do you find you are spending a higher proportion of your income on healthcare? Share your story with Voices for Affordable Health.

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