Mass. ranks near the top for best healthcare in US, but survey shows that’s not saying much
According to a new Gallup and West Health survey, Massachusetts ranks near the top for national healthcare experiences — but that may be a dubious distinction.
The survey, coined The State of the States 2025: Insights on Healthcare in America , collected responses from nearly 20,000 people nationwide. Data was then separated and ranked states based on cost, quality and access across.
Massachusetts boasts a ranking for #1 for cost satisfaction, #2 overall and #2 for quality of care.
And though it #1 for cost satisfaction may seem like a win, according to a Gallup spokesperson "being number one is like being the tallest kid in kindergarten because everyone else is still short."
In its results, Gallup said "millions of Americans are confronting growing challenges to their health and financial wellbeing."
The inaugural study "reveals that negative healthcare experiences are widespread in the U.S. but also differ significantly, depending on where people live."
Nationally, about 20% of adults report that someone in their household was unable to afford prescriptions within the past three months and 30% of respondents report household members skipped medical treatment due to cost.
"In Massachusetts that share is 18%," the results show, leaning slightly below the national average but still panning out to be almost one in every five residents skipping prescription refills due costs.
Nearly one in three Americans say they've skipped "a needed medical procedure or test in the past year because they couldn't afford it, with rates climbing above 40% in states such as Texas and Montana and Mississippi."
And while Massachusetts receives higher rates the national average, it still falls short.
In Massachusetts:
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18% say healthcare costs are a "major financial burden," compared with 22% nationally.
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8% report cutting pills or stretching prescriptions to save money, versus 15% nationally.
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46% are concerned or extremely concerned about paying for health care services in the next year, and 47% say health costs cause daily stress. Nationally, that figure is 52%.
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21% say they couldn't afford medicine or skipped a prescribed drug over the past year, compared with 30% nationwide.
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Another 21% say they avoided a recommended medical procedure or test because of cost, versus 30% nationally.
Survey respondents' gave Massachusetts a C+ for overall healthcare experience.
It received a D+ for cost, B- for quality and C+ for accessibility. Overall, Massachusetts ranked higher than most states across the board but far from perfect.
Costs "grades" were marked based on reported cost burden, skipped necessary care and "stretching prescriptions."
Massachusetts was the only state to receive a grade as high as B- on any ranking.
Across the board, states overwhelming reported a quality and access grade falling between C- and C+.
As for costs, the majority of states reported between a D and D+, including Massachusetts.
Quality
Despite cost concerns, residents rate Massachusetts providers highly.
The survey found 79% of adults in Massachusetts feel their medical professionals provide high-quality care — significantly above the national average.
Proactive provider engagement also ranked highly for Massachusetts with 76% of respondents reporting their physicians discuss healthy lifestyle choices, and 69% reported being asked about mental health.
Access
Barriers such as long wait times and difficulty finding providers still exist in some places, but Massachusetts fared better than many states: it was among those with above-average rates of recent doctor visits and overall satisfaction.
Wider implications
The report, conducted between June and July 2025, comes at a moment of rising financial strain for U.S. households.
West Health and Gallup argue that even states with top rankings — like Massachusetts — are not immune to systemic cost pressures.
"This study captures … how these pressures are being felt by people in every state," Joe Daly, Global Managing Partner at Gallup said in a statement.
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