Medical error analysis by Evan Comen; Data by CDC

States with highest death rates from medical care complications

ByEvan Comen

Medical errors are a serious threat to health systems worldwide. One recent study estimated that 400,000 hospitalized patients experience some sort of preventable harm in the United States each year, with the total costs of medical errors judged to be tens of billions of dollars. According to official U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) numbers, there were 12,000 deaths due to complications of medical and surgical care in the U.S. from 2021 to 2023.

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As the population ages, deaths due to medical error are rising. Older patients are particularly vulnerable to health complications from medical error, with even small mistakes like a missed dosage or misread test result carrying outsized consequences. Deaths due to medical and surgical care complications are ultimately a function of health care quality and vary widely from state to state.

In Wyoming, for example, there are 2.2 deaths due to medical and surgical care complications per 100,000 residents, more than twice the national average. The states with the highest rates of death from error also tend to have higher rates of medical malpractice, lower health care salaries, and fewer physicians per capita. A closer look at the data reveals the states with the most deaths from complications of medical and surgery.

To determine the states with the most deaths from medical and surgical care complications, Nifty 50+ reviewed data on mortality from the CDC’s WONDER database. States were ranked based on the number of deaths due to complications of medical and surgical care per 100,000 state residents from 2021 to 2023. Mortality data is age-adjusted.

Supplemental data used to calculate the average dollar amount of medical malpractice payouts per resident from 2015 to 2024 are from the National Practitioner Data Bank of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population and Housing Unit Estimates program. Data on median annual salary for health care practitioners and technical occupations are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program and are for May 2024. Data on the number of practicing physicians in each state is from the Kaiser Family Foundation and is for January 2025.

10. Ohio

> Deaths from medical and surgical care complications, 2021-2023: 1.3 per 100,000 people

> Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $686.8 million ($58.27 per capita)

> Median annual salary for healthcare practitioners: $79,130

> Concentration of physicians: 380.6 per 100,000 residents

9. Indiana

> Deaths from medical and surgical care complications, 2021-2023: 1.3 per 100,000 people

> Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $515.5 million ($75.13 per capita)

> Median annual salary for healthcare practitioners: $78,330

> Concentration of physicians: 269.9 per 100,000 residents

8. Vermont

> Deaths from medical and surgical care complications, 2021-2023: 1.3 per 100,000 people

> Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $40.9 million ($63.22 per capita)

> Median annual salary for healthcare practitioners: $84,660

> Concentration of physicians: 417.3 per 100,000 residents

7. Tennessee

> Deaths from medical and surgical care complications, 2021-2023: 1.3 per 100,000 people

> Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $295.5 million ($41.47 per capita)

> Median annual salary for healthcare practitioners: $75,830

> Concentration of physicians: 297.6 per 100,000 residents

6. West Virginia

> Deaths from medical and surgical care complications, 2021-2023: 1.3 per 100,000 people

> Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $229.8 million ($129.82 per capita)

> Median annual salary for healthcare practitioners: $69,340

> Concentration of physicians: 328.5 per 100,000 residents

5. New Mexico

> Deaths from medical and surgical care complications, 2021-2023: 1.5 per 100,000 people

> Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $344.3 million ($162.84 per capita)

> Median annual salary for healthcare practitioners: $84,380

> Concentration of physicians: 322.0 per 100,000 residents

4. Kansas

> Deaths from medical and surgical care complications, 2021-2023: 1.5 per 100,000 people

> Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $243.8 million ($82.90 per capita)

> Median annual salary for healthcare practitioners: $75,120

> Concentration of physicians: 307.5 per 100,000 residents

3. Arkansas

> Deaths from medical and surgical care complications, 2021-2023: 1.6 per 100,000 people

> Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $182.7 million ($59.56 per capita)

> Median annual salary for healthcare practitioners: $67,930

> Concentration of physicians: 257.4 per 100,000 residents

2. Mississippi

> Deaths from medical and surgical care complications, 2021-2023: 1.6 per 100,000 people

> Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $156.7 million ($53.29 per capita)

> Median annual salary for healthcare practitioners: $64,960

> Concentration of physicians: 245.3 per 100,000 residents

1. Wyoming

> Deaths from medical and surgical care complications, 2021-2023: 2.2 per 100,000 people

> Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $49.4 million ($84.59 per capita)

> Median annual salary for healthcare practitioners: $81,210

> Concentration of physicians: 254.4 per 100,000 residents

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Evan Comen is a data journalist covering climate change and urban economics. His reporting is regularly featured on MSN, and has been cited in The Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and other online and print publications.

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