Special Report
This Is Where Tennessee's Health Care System Ranks in the US
Published:
Last Updated:
The U.S. health care system faced new levels of scrutiny in the past year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There were shortages of medical masks, ICU beds, as well as nurses. But even before the pandemic, some states were much better equipped to handle both everyday health needs — and the pandemic — than others.
There are many states in which residents are much more likely to lack health care insurance. In many of these states, there are also fewer medical professionals relative to the population, which can hinder access to care, as well as underfunded medical hospitals.
The health care system in Tennessee ranks as the seventh worst in the country.
Tennessee’s health care system ranks among the worst in the U.S. largely due to the state’s relatively low spending on health care and hospitals as well as fewer than average numbers of health professionals per capita. The state spends $111 per person on health care and $56 per resident on hospitals, both well below the respective nationwide per capita figures of $205 and $294.
Tennessee residents may also have a harder time accessing certain health specialists than people in other states. There are 157.7 mental health providers per 100,000 residents in the state compared to 261.2 per 100,000 in the U.S. as a whole.
The state ranks lower in the number of dentists per 100,000 residents with 55.5 dentists per 100,000 residents in the state compared to 71.2 per 100,000 people nationwide. Just over a fifth of Tennessee adults report being in poor or fair health, the seventh highest share in the country.
To identify the states with the worst health care systems, 24/7 Wall St. constructed an index comprising six health measures for each state: the share of residents without health insurance, state spending on health care as well as on hospitals per capita, and the number of dentists, doctors, and mental health providers per 100,000 people. Each of these measures was weighted equally in the index. These are the 25 states with the worst health care system
| Rank | State | Uninsured rate | Adults in poor or fair health | Premium contribution, single coverage | State spending on health care per capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Wyoming | 12.3% | 15.3% | $96.25 | $513 |
| 24 | Delaware | 6.6% | 16.3% | $127.92 | $480 |
| 23 | Montana | 8.3% | 14.1% | $93.50 | $167 |
| 22 | Missouri | 10.0% | 19.5% | $109.83 | $332 |
| 21 | Nebraska | 8.3% | 13.8% | $112.58 | $151 |
| 20 | Illinois | 7.4% | 15.9% | $115.17 | $97 |
| 19 | Kentucky | 6.4% | 21.8% | $121.08 | $98 |
| 18 | North Dakota | 6.9% | 13.6% | $98.50 | $188 |
| 17 | South Carolina | 10.8% | 17.8% | $111.58 | $247 |
| 16 | North Carolina | 11.3% | 18.0% | $115.92 | $164 |
| 15 | West Virginia | 6.7% | 23.6% | $113.08 | $160 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 14.3% | 20.9% | $115.25 | $223 |
| 13 | South Dakota | 10.2% | 13.4% | $120.17 | $178 |
| 12 | Louisiana | 8.9% | 21.4% | $122.08 | $101 |
| 11 | Alabama | 9.7% | 21.4% | $132.75 | $117 |
| 10 | Arkansas | 9.1% | 23.3% | $104.42 | $58 |
| 9 | Florida | 13.2% | 19.5% | $120.17 | $225 |
| 8 | Idaho | 10.8% | 15.1% | $73.08 | $104 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 10.1% | 21.2% | $119.25 | $111 |
| 6 | Indiana | 8.7% | 18.2% | $121.67 | $90 |
| 5 | Nevada | 11.4% | 19.1% | $104.58 | $93 |
| 4 | Mississippi | 13.0% | 22.1% | $109.08 | $133 |
| 3 | Arizona | 11.3% | 18.6% | $126.92 | $81 |
| 2 | Georgia | 13.4% | 18.4% | $108.25 | $119 |
| 1 | Texas | 18.4% | 18.7% | $112.92 | $109 |
ALERT: Take This Retirement Quiz Now (Sponsored)
Take the quiz below to get matched with a financial advisor today.
Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.
Here’s how it works:
1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz
2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles.
3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future
Take the retirement quiz right here.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
