These are the US states where adults are struggling to pay medical bills most

The research, from Texas Personal Injury Lawyers, The Texas Law Dog, (link to: https://thetexaslawdog.com/)analyzed data from the State Health Access Data Assistance Center to identify the states with the highest proportion of adults who struggled with medical bills in the past year.

Wyoming had the highest proportion of adults who had difficulty paying off medical bills in the past year, with 21.5% reporting financial difficulty. This figure reflects a 79.46% increase from the national average of 11.98%.

Nebraska had the second highest percentage of adults struggling to pay medical bills, with 17.8% reporting financial difficulty in the past year. Nebraska saw a 48.58% increase from the national average.

Missouri experienced a 44.41% increase from the national average for adults who struggled with medical bills. Between 2021 and 2022, Missouri had 17.3% of residents reporting financial difficulty.

North Dakota and Oklahoma tied for fourth with 16.0% of residents reporting difficultypaying off their medical bills. The two states saw a 33.56% increase from the national average of 11.98%.

Rounding out the top five is a three-way tie between Arkansas, Mississippi, and Utah. These states saw a 23.54% increase from the national average, with 14.8% of residents reporting financial difficulty with their medical bills.

States with the highest percentage of adults who struggle to pay medical bills

South Carolina has the sixth-highest percentage of adults who struggled to pay off medical bills in the past year, with 14.5% reporting financial difficulty. This figure reflects a 21.04% increase from the national average (11.98%.)

West Virginia saw a 19.37% increase from the national average. The state documented 14.3% of residents reporting financial difficulty with medicalbills.

North Carolina experienced an 18.53% increase from the national average (11.98%), with 14.2% of residents reporting financial difficulty paying their medical bills

Texas ranks ninth, with 14.0% of residents reporting financial difficulty with medical bills. This figure reflects a 16.86% increase from the national average.

Completing the top ten states with the highest percentage of adults who struggled to pay off medical bills in the past year is Kansas. Kansas had 13.9% of residents struggling with medical bills — 16.03% higher than the national average.

An expert at The Texas Law Dog ) commented on the findings: "The rising number of adults struggling to pay medical bills highlights the growing burden of healthcare costs in the U.S. All states should take note of these findings and offer support to residents.

"When one in five residents in Wyoming face financial hardship due to medical expenses, it highlights the urgent need for expanded healthcare access, low-cost healthcare, and financial protections for patients. "