10 States With the Worst Health Care for Retirees in 2024

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Senior man at the doctor
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Nearly everyone requires more medical services as they age. That means finding a place to live that also has great health care becomes important for those who soon plan to retire.

Recently, WalletHub ranked the U.S. states with the best and worst health care for retirees. It looked at more than a dozen factors, including:

  • Family medicine physicians per capita
  • Top-rated geriatrics hospitals
  • The share of the population 65 and older with good or better health

Following are the states with the worst health care for retirees, according to WalletHub’s analysis.

50. West Virginia

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West Virginia is an affordable place to live, ranking No. 5 among all the states on that metric, according to WalletHub.

But health care services get poor marks in the Mountain State. Before retiring here, you will have to decide if you are willing to accept potentially less robust care in exchange for lower day-to-day living expenses.

49. Alabama

Birmingham, Alabama
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First, the good news: Alabama is the most affordable state for retirees, according to WalletHub, with the lowest adjusted cost of living in the U.S. Many people who recently moved there say better living costs are the top reason.

However, the bad news is that Alabama finishes next-to-last for health care services.

48. Mississippi

Shrimp boats in Biloxi, Mississippi
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Mississippi ranks low on the health care list, but its affordability ranking isn’t that close to that of either West Virginia or Alabama.

The Magnolia State is No. 12 in affordability, meaning other states — including Delaware, South Carolina and Wyoming, to name just three — offer a lower cost of living and better health care.

The rest of the 10 worst states for health care

New Orleans, Louisiana at night
f11 photography / Shutterstock.com

Rounding out the top 10 states that rank among the worst for health care are:

  • 47. Louisiana
  • 46. Tennessee
  • 45. Oklahoma
  • 44. Kentucky
  • 43. Nevada
  • 42. Arkansas
  • 41. Georgia

For the other side of the coin, check out “10 States Offering Retirees the Best Health Care in 2024.”

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