NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Finding good health care is a priority for most Americans, but data shows it doesn't come at a cheap price.

According to estimates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the average American spends nearly $14,600 per year on health care.

However, higher medical costs doesn't necessarily guarantee better results. In fact, research by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the United States lags behind several wealthy nations on different factors, including: health coverage, life expectancy, and disease burden.

To determine where Americans receive the highest quality of health care, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 44 measures of cost, accessibility and outcome.

Overall, the study found that Tennessee ranked toward the bottom of the list at No. 44. The Volunteer State was followed by Arkansas, West Virginia, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Alaska and Mississippi.

Out of the measures, Tennessee ranked the worst in "outcomes" after coming in at 48th place. The measure reportedly weighed several factors, including infant mortality rate, share of patients readmitted to hospitals, share of at-risk adults with no routine doctor visit in the past two years and share of non-immunized children.

In fact, WalletHub found that Tennessee was one of the worst states when it came to dentists per capita, ranking at the bottom at No. 50, with Kentucky following behind in last place.

Additionally, Tennessee and Kentucky were also named among states with the highest rate of stroke and heart disease.

"Health care has two crucial components, cost and quality. The best health care in the nation isn't helpful if it bankrupts the people who try to get it, and cheap health care isn't worth paying for if it provides subpar or ineffective treatment," said Chip Lugo, an analyst with WalletHub. "Therefore, the best states for health care are those that make high-quality care affordable, on top of providing many options for doctors and making insurance easily accessible."

Which states offer the best health care?

1. New Hampshire
2. Rhode Island
3. Minnesota
4. Iowa
5. Massachusetts

To see the full study, click here.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-news/tennessee-among-worst-states-in-the-us-for-health-care-study-finds/