Recent headlines have claimed that North Carolina ranks as “the most expensive state for healthcare” in the nation. But the concept of “most expensive” is notoriously tricky in healthcare because costs can be defined in so many ways. While some consumers in North Carolina do appear to pay more for health insurance, the state significantly outperforms the national average on other, more comprehensive cost metrics. A more holistic look at costs shows that North Carolina’s healthcare system delivers economic efficiency and taxpayer value – especially in comparison to other states.
