Submitted by tim
on
Vermont Business Magazine According to a December 2025 report on healthcare quality across America, New Yorkers receive the worst hospital care when they become ill. The study by the stem cell treatment center Auragens examined healthcare systems in all 50 states, comparing safety, response time, and medical bills. Vermont was 13 spots behind New York, between Arkansas and Kentucky.
- New York is the worst state to get sick in America, with medical expenses reaching $14,000 per person and emergency rooms taking 3 hours to see patients.
- Alaska ranks second-worst, charging $13,600 for healthcare while hospitals there record the highest infection rates in the country.
- Delaware has the longest emergency room waiting times in the country, making sick people sit for more than 3 hours before getting treatment.
The research measured each state using multiple healthcare indicators. This included doctor availability per 100K residents, medical costs, emergency room wait times, and hospital safety ratings. The study also tracked hospital-acquired infection rates, showing how often patients catch illnesses during treatment, and patient satisfaction scores for communication and cleanliness.
Here's a look at the top 10 worst states for healthcare in the US:
You can access the complete research findings here.
1. New York
- Primary care physicians per 100K: 193
- Specialist physicians per 100K: 221
- Healthcare cost: $14,007
- ER wait time: 184 minutes
- Hospital safety "A" grade: 23%
- Patient satisfaction: 2.64 out of 5
New York is America's worst state to get sick. Medical care here costs $14,000 each year, the highest in the country, but this doesn’t translate to better services. NY emergency rooms make patients wait over 3 hours before seeing a doctor, even though the state has around 200 primary care physicians per 100K people. Patient safety remains a weak point too, as fewer than 1 in 4 hospitals meet high standards.
2. Alaska
Alaska is the second-worst state to get medical help. Residents here pay $13,600 for healthcare, nearly as much as New Yorkers, but the bigger problem is infections. Alaska hospitals record a 0.84 infection score, the worst in America, which means when patients go in for treatment, they face a risk of catching something in a medical facility. This problem reflects broader health safety issues in Alaska, with only 14% of hospitals meeting proper safety benchmarks.
3. Delaware
Delaware ranks third with the longest emergency room waiting times in the country. Despite having over 180 doctors per 100K people, patients here sit for more than 3 hours before getting treatment. Medical costs aren't cheap either, running nearly $13,000 per person each year, while less than a third of hospitals earn top safety grades.
4. Arizona
Arizona takes fourth place despite lower healthcare costs than the top three states. Medical care here costs around $8,700 per person, but other problems make getting treatment difficult. Emergency rooms keep people waiting nearly 3 hours, and only 18% of hospitals earn high safety ratings, one of the lowest percentages nationally. Lack of doctors adds to the problems as well, with just 130 physicians per 100K residents.
5. New Jersey
New Jersey rounds out the worst five states for healthcare. People here pay nearly $12,000 for medical expenses, making it one of the most expensive states for health checks. Despite these high prices, patients report low satisfaction with the hospital services they receive, giving them 2.61 points out of 5, among the lowest in America. Like Alaska, hospitals here also show serious infection problems, with a 0.8 score that puts patients at risk.
Dr. Dan Briggs, President and CEO of Auragens, commented on the study:
"Healthcare costs in America have nearly doubled over the past decade, going from $3.1 trillion to $5.3 trillion. But paying more hasn't improved service. Emergency room wait times have tripled since the pandemic, and as our research shows, in some states, patients have to wait for around 3 hours to see a doctor. Higher costs should mean better access, but the opposite is happening."
Source: 1.6.2026. https://auragens.com/
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