Healthcare has always been a major social issue and hot topic of debate. In the past, various presidential administrations implemented health reforms; some were appreciated by the citizens, some were hated. But, as President Theodore Roosevelt said, health insurance is extremely important because “no country could be strong whose people were sick and poor.”
When Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States in 2008, he started working on a major healthcare reform that would extend coverage to millions of Americans. On March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obama Care, was signed into law, marking the most significant expansion of healthcare coverage since the Medicare and Medicaid Act in 1965.
Healthcare can be extremely costly in the United States, we all know this, and if the Affordable Care Act is repealed, a comprehensive health plan would become unaffordable for thousands of people. Given that health insurance costs differ from one state to another, where you live could play an important part in whether or not you will be able to afford healthcare insurance.
Based on the average monthly insurance premium and the average annual silver plan deductible, here are the top 25 states where people are less likely to run out of money because of healthcare costs. (Please note that this review is based on 2018 data; costs might have varied slightly but the overall situation is pretty much the same in 2021).
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Arizona
Average monthly premium: $453
Average silver deductible: $5,625
When it comes to healthcare for residents of the Grand Canyon State, the costs are somewhere in the middle. The best thing you can do if you live in Arizona and don’t want to pay exorbitant prices for health care services is to get a pet. A dog, for instance, could encourage you to stay active and lower your risk of developing obesity and other conditions that might require medical intervention.
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Texas
Average monthly premium: $480
Average silver deductible: $4,475
If you live in Texas, you benefit from a higher average silver deductible than residents in most states in the United States. However, if you want to lower your healthcare costs even more, pay attention to your healthcare bills because they may have billing errors that could result in inflated medical charges.
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Missouri
Average monthly premium: $462
Average silver deductible: $5,188
Missouri offers its residents the chance to make some extra savings with out-of-pocket costs by providing a fairly high average silver deductible. Depending on the healthcare plan you choose, you can lower your costs even more. To make sure you get your money’s worth, you need to shop around a little bit and compare prices until you find the best one for your needs.
If you stick to the same plan every year but you start having different medical needs, you might end up paying for more costly health insurance.
