📊 America’s Health Profile

The United States faces significant public health challenges with 2.85 million deaths annually at a rate of 870 per 100,000 population. With a national life expectancy of 77.8 years (80.5 for women, 75.1 for men), America lags behind many developed nations despite substantial healthcare investments.

The top 10 causes of death represent nearly 75% of all deaths in America, with heart disease and cancer alone accounting for over 44% of all mortality. This concentration suggests that targeted interventions in key areas could have substantial population-level impact.

💔 Cardiovascular and Chronic Disease Dominance

Chronic diseases represent the overwhelming majority of American mortality:

• Heart Disease: #1 cause with 659,041 deaths (161.5 per 100,000) – 23.1% of all deaths
• Cancer: #2 cause with 599,601 deaths (146.2 per 100,000) – 21.0% of all deaths
• Chronic Respiratory Disease: 156,979 deaths (38.2 per 100,000) – 5.5% of all deaths
• Stroke: 150,005 deaths (37.0 per 100,000) – 5.3% of all deaths
• Diabetes: 87,647 deaths (21.6 per 100,000) – 3.1% of all deaths

Heart disease has remained the #1 cause of death since at least 1980, with approximately 4.6% of U.S. adults diagnosed with some form of cardiovascular disease, making it a primary concern for life insurance underwriting.

💊 Drug Overdose Epidemic

The United States faces an unprecedented drug overdose crisis:

• Current Impact: 70,630 deaths annually (21.6 per 100,000) – 2.5% of all deaths
• Dramatic Increase: Over 300% increase in 20 years (from ~6.0 per 100,000 in 1999)
• Gender Disparity: Male overdose rates approximately double those of females
• Insurance Impact: Rising numbers of life insurance applicants with drug/alcohol addiction history

This epidemic represents one of the most significant preventable mortality crises in modern American history, affecting families and communities nationwide.

🚑 Preventable Deaths

Accidents (“unintentional injuries”) represent America’s 3rd leading cause of death:

• Total Impact: 173,040 deaths annually (49.3 per 100,000) – 6.1% of all deaths
• Top Categories: Unintentional poisoning, falls, and motor vehicle accidents
• Prevention Potential: Many accidents are preventable through safety measures and education
• Insurance Considerations: Drives demand for accidental death policies as life insurance supplements

The high rate of accidental deaths highlights opportunities for targeted safety interventions and the value of comprehensive life insurance coverage including accident protection.

🦠 Historic Life Expectancy Decline

COVID-19 created the most significant single-year impact on American mortality in modern history:

• Life Expectancy Drop: Decreased by approximately one full year from 2019 to first half of 2020
• Contributing Factors: Direct COVID-19 deaths plus continuing increase in overdose deaths
• Historical Context: Largest single-year decline since World War II
• Ongoing Effects: Long-term health system impacts and excess mortality continue

This unprecedented decline underscores the vulnerability of public health systems to pandemic threats and the importance of emergency preparedness and healthcare infrastructure resilience.

🧠 Mental Health Crisis

Suicide and violence represent significant but preventable causes of mortality:

• Suicide: 47,511 deaths annually (13.9 per 100,000) – 1.7% of all deaths
• Homicide: 19,141 deaths annually (5.8 per 100,000) – 0.7% of all deaths
• Prevention Potential: Both categories highly responsive to intervention programs
• State Variation: Dramatic differences between states suggest policy effectiveness matters

These deaths represent profound personal and family tragedies that are often preventable through mental health support, violence prevention programs, and community intervention strategies.

🗺️ Dramatic State-Level Differences

National averages mask enormous variation between states and regions:

• Life Expectancy Range: Varies by over 6 years between highest and lowest states
• Drug Overdose Range: From lowest (Nebraska: 8.7 per 100k) to highest rates (West Virginia: ~50+ per 100k)
• Heart Disease Variation: More than 2x difference between best and worst-performing states
• Policy Impact: Variations suggest significant influence of state health policies and programs

These variations demonstrate that poor health outcomes are not inevitable – states like Nebraska show that excellent population health is achievable with effective policies and programs.

💡 Life Insurance Considerations Nationwide

The diverse American health landscape creates complex considerations for life insurance coverage. Given the wide variation in state-level health outcomes, individual circumstances and geographic location significantly impact insurance availability and pricing. At IBUSA, we recognize these variations and work to help applicants nationwide access appropriate coverage.

For healthy individuals, particularly those in states with favorable health profiles, no medical exam term life insurance policies often provide excellent value and convenience. For those with health challenges or residing in higher-risk areas, fully underwritten life insurance policies can provide comprehensive coverage with appropriate risk assessment.

The significant prevalence of chronic diseases (affecting nearly 60% of deaths), combined with rising challenges like drug overdoses and environmental health risks, has led to increased availability of guaranteed issue life insurance policies for those who might not qualify for traditional coverage. Additionally, the high rate of accidental deaths (6.1% of all mortality) makes accidental death policies valuable supplements to traditional life insurance coverage for many Americans.

Complex Health Landscape Requiring Comprehensive Solutions

The United States faces a multifaceted public health challenge requiring coordinated national and state-level interventions:

• Chronic Disease Dominance: Heart disease and cancer account for nearly half of all deaths, requiring long-term prevention strategies
• Modern Epidemics: Drug overdoses and pandemic impacts demand immediate crisis response and long-term solutions
• Preventable Deaths: Significant portions of mortality from accidents, suicide, and violence are preventable through targeted interventions
• State Variation Opportunity: Dramatic differences between states prove better outcomes are achievable nationwide
• Life Expectancy Decline: Recent decreases highlight urgent need for comprehensive public health reform

America’s health challenges are substantial but not insurmountable. The dramatic variation between states demonstrates that excellent population health outcomes are achievable through effective policy, healthcare delivery, and community engagement. Success stories from high-performing states provide roadmaps for national improvement, while the concentration of mortality in key areas suggests that targeted interventions could yield significant population-level benefits.

The path forward requires sustained investment in chronic disease prevention, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, accident prevention, and healthcare system strengthening to reverse recent declines and achieve the health outcomes that Americans deserve.

Data Sources

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (citing U.S. Census Bureau, 2019)

Statista, Population Density in the U.S. by Federal States Including District of Columbia (2020)

CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, Deaths and Mortality (2019)

Arias, Ph.D., Elizabeth, Betzaida Tejada-Vera, M.S., and Farida Ahmad, M.P.H., Provisional Life Expectancy Estimates for January through June, 2020. National Center for Health Statistics (Feb., 2020)

CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, Leading Causes of Death (2019)

CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, Stats of the States (2019)

CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 1999-2019 (2020)

Wamsley, Laurel, American Life Expectancy Dropped by a Full Year in 1st Half of 2020. NPR (Feb. 18, 2021)