West Virginia is the state most stressed about medical bills, with 23.97% of people having medical debt in collections.  

• Following in second place is South Carolina, where 22.26% of residents have medical debt in collections.  
• Oklahoma comes in third place with 21.46% of its population in medical debt stress 
• Other states that feature in the top ten include North Carolina, Texas and Louisiana.      

A new study has revealed the top 10 U.S. states that are most stressed about medical bills.   

Research conducted by Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Anidjar & Levine analyzed the latest data from the Urban Institute Data Catalog to discover the percentage of the population with medical debt in collections in each state, along with the median amount.   

Coming in first place for the most stressed state with medical bills is West Virginia, with an estimated 23.97% of adults in the state having medical debt in collections. This is the highest ratio in the country and close to twice the national rate, which stands at 12.6%. West Virginia’s median medical debt in collections is $553, and the state also has America’s second lowest average household income, at $65,842 – only Mississippi has a lower average ($65,081).  

South Carolina is in the second spot for most stressed, with 22.26% of people over 18 in the state having medical debt in collections. There are 10.85% of residents in South Carolina without health insurance, which is nearly double the percentage of people with no insurance in West Virginia.     

In third place is Oklahoma, where 21.46% of people have medical debt in collection. Oklahoma residents have the highest average amount of medical debt in collections out of the top 10 states in the ranking, owing $893, higher than the national average, which stands at $703. 

 North Carolina is fourth, with 20.29% of residents facing of medical debt stress. Also, an estimated 11.26% of North Carolina residents do not have medical insurance.  

Landing in fifth place is Texas, where 18.82% of the population have medical debt in collection. Texas has the highest population without medical insurance in the top 10, with 18.36% of Texas residents not insured.   

Louisiana is in the sixth spot for the state with the most medical debt stress, with 18.06% of residents having medical debt in collections.   

Ranking at number seven is Arkansas, with 17.78% of people in the state having medical debt in collections. Arkansas has the second-lowest average income out of the top ten, $68,219, and the third-lowest average medical debt owed at $561.   

\Coming in eighth place is Tennessee, which has a total of 17.63% of residents who owe medical debt. Out of the top 10 in the ranking, residents in Tennessee have the second highest median amount of medical debt at $888.   

Georgia is in ninth place for the top ten states most stressed by medical bills, with 17.33% having medical debt in collections.   

Finally, rounding off the list in tenth place is Kentucky, which has 17.11% of residents with medical debt worries. Kentucky residents also have the lowest median amount of medical debt owed out of the top 10 at $491.   

  On the opposite end of the scale, the research also revealed that Minnesota, South Dakota and Alaska are the top three U.S. states where the lowest percentage of residents have medical debt in collections.     

A spokesperson from Anidjar & Levine commented on the findings: "Medical bills have always been a long source of stress on Americans, and according to a recent survey, a huge 81% of Americans with medical debt bills are putting their other financial goals on pause, with many Americans struggling to pay their bills. 

"When medical bills go unpaid, they are often reported to credit bureaus, and it can hurt not just your credit score but can impact your financial reliability to the likes of lenders, employers and utilities, which can unload more stress and worries than debt alone. 

"If suffering from medical malpractice, speak to a medical malpractice lawyer before accepting a settlement. The free consultation can evaluate your current situation and advise on legal options. Often, a higher sum can be negotiated on your behalf than the original one you were offered."  

The top ten states by percentage of people with medical debt in collections