Health articles
How much are doctors paid?
How much do you think the average doctor earns per year? We asked our newsletter readers, and the plurality guessed $200,050.In reality, the average doctor earned $350,000 in individual total income in 2017 —about 1.75 times what most people guessed. (All figures in this article come from IRS data analyzed by five economists.) In fact, the top 1% of physicians in the United States earned an average of $4 million per year, with much of that income coming from business ownership and capital gains.What states pay doctors the most?The average income of a doctor may be surprising; so might be the map of doctor earnings. Before we get to the full map of doctor incomes nationwide, let’s take a brief detour on wealth in the United States.Wealth in America tends to cluster on the coasts. Some of the richest states in median household income are Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington state, and California. And for many professions, average incomes by state look a lot like average wealth of the state. Take lawyers. In 2017, the best-paid lawyers tended to live in New York, Connecticut, and California — some of the highest-income states in the US. The lowest-paid lawyers tended to live in West Virginia, Kentucky, and New Mexico — some of the poorest states in America (by median household income).
Which states have the highest maternal mortality rates?
Maternal mortality — when a woman dies while pregnant or within 42 days after a pregnancy — is an important maternal health indicator. In 2023, there were 669 maternal deaths in the United States, a maternal mortality rate of 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 80% of all pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable.Maternal mortality rates vary from state to state. Tennessee had the highest aggregate maternal mortality rate from 2019 to 2023, with 42.1 deaths per 100,000 births, followed by Louisiana (40.7) and Mississippi (39.7). California had the lowest, 10.1, and Minnesota was second-lowest with 14.1. Data is only available for 39 states: The CDC suppresses maternal death counts from states with nine deaths or fewer in the interests of confidentiality, and from states with 20 deaths or fewer to ensure data integrity.
Why are accidental deaths rising?
Accidental deaths are the third leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, they’ve been the third leading cause of death since 2016, save for 2020 and 2021 when the nation grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic. The accidental death rate has increased 56% since 2014.
How many measles cases are there in the US?
As of November 25, 2025, 1,798 cases have been confirmed in 2025, 12% of which required hospitalization. There have been 3 confirmed deaths. This is the highest annual case count since the US declared measles eliminated in 2000.
What is Medicaid and how many Americans use it? | Episode 2 of Just the Facts: Do You Qualify?
JUST THE FACTS · 7:15M
What does the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) do?
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch agency responsible for overseeing public health policy and administering funding for health programs and services. The department's functions include managing national health programs like Medicare and Medicaid, advancing medical research, ensuring food and drug safety, and promoting health equity for all individuals. It was established in 1980 after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was reorganized into separate entities.
What does the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) do?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive branch agency responsible for safeguarding human health and protecting the environment by ensuring that people in the US have access to clean air, land, and water. Its functions include developing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress, providing grants to support environmental programs and projects, researches environmental issues, and fostering partnerships with businesses, nonprofits, and state and local governments. It was established in 1970.
What does the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) do?
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is a subdivision of the US Department of Veterans Affairs responsible for providing comprehensive healthcare services to military veterans. The agency operates a nationwide system of medical centers, outpatient clinics, and specialized care facilities, offering services ranging from primary care to specialized treatments for conditions such as PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. It also conducts research and provides training for healthcare professionals. It was established in 1930.
What does the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) do?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a subdivision of the US Department of Transportation responsible for ensuring the safety of motor vehicles and road users. The agency sets and enforces safety performance standards for motor vehicles and equipment, conducts research on driver behavior and traffic safety, and provides grants to state and local governments to improve highway safety. It also oversees the recall of vehicles and equipment that pose safety risks. It was established in 1970.
What does the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) do?
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a subdivision of the US Department of Health and Human Services responsible for improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitative services to reduce illness, death, disability, and the cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses. SAMHSA leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation and works to improve the lives of individuals living with mental and substance use disorders and their families. It was established in 1992.
What does the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) do?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a subdivision of the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for protecting public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability. The agency conducts research, provides health information, and supports public health efforts to respond to health threats ranging from infectious diseases to chronic conditions. It also works with state and local partners to monitor health trends and promote health equity. It was established in 1946.
What does the National Institutes of Health (NIH) do?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a subdivision of the US Department of Health and Human Services responsible for conducting and supporting medical research to improve public health. The agency funds and conducts research in various fields of biomedical science, including the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. It also provides training for researchers and disseminates health information to the public. It was established in 1887.
What does the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a subdivision of the US Department of Health and Human Services responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices. The agency also oversees the safety and security of the nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. It was established in 1906.
What does the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) do?
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is a subdivision of the US Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. The agency conducts inspections, enforces food safety regulations, and works to prevent foodborne illnesses through rigorous testing and monitoring. It also provides guidance and education to industry and consumers on food safety practices. It was established in 1977.
What does the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) do?
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is a subdivision of the US Department of Agriculture responsible for administering the nation’s domestic nutrition assistance programs. These programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the National School Lunch Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The agency aims to provide children and low-income individuals access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education. It was established in 1969.
What does the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) do?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is a subdivision of the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for administering the nation’s major healthcare programs including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The agency ensures that beneficiaries have access to high-quality healthcare services while also working to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. It was established in 1965.
How much fentanyl is seized at US borders each month?
About 640 pounds in September 2025. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used medically as a pain reliever but is also trafficked illegally due to its potency. In 2023, the latest data available, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were involved in 69% of fatal accidental drug overdoses in the US.
How many people have mental illness in the United States?
About 58.7 million adults had a mental illness in 2023. That’s the equivalent of 22.8% of the adult population of the U.S, or 2 in 9 adults. This data comes from an annual survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which defines mental illness as a range of disorders, from mild to severe, affecting a person’s thinking, mood, or behavior.
How many people die from gun-related injuries in the US each month?
An estimated 3.5K in December 2024, the most recent month for which data is available. This includes homicides, suicides, accidents, and other incidents where a shooting was considered the primary cause of death.
How much is spent per Medicaid enrollee in the US?
In fiscal year (FY) 2023, $9,109 per enrollee. That's 1% lower than in FY 2022. Adjusted for inflation, Medicaid spending per enrollee is at its lowest level since 1994. Spending primarily covers benefits, but administrative costs are also included.
How many people die by suicide in the United States each year?
About 49,476 people died by suicide in 2022. In other words, there were about 14.2 suicides for every 100,000 people in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says several factors cause suicide and they exist at individual, community, and societal levels.
How many drug overdose deaths happen every year in the United States?
About 105,007 overdose deaths in 2023. That means that for every 100,000 people living in the US, 31 died of a drug overdose. This is the third highest the drug overdose death rate has been since data from 1999 became available.
How many people are on Medicaid in the US?
On average, 88.8 million or 26.2% of the US population during FY 2024. Enrolling about 1 in 4 people in the US, Medicaid is one of the largest single health insurers in the country. Medicaid is a government-funded health insurance program that provides free or low-cost coverage to eligible low-income individuals and families, including children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities.
How much does Medicaid cost in the US?
A combined $894 billion in state and federal spending in fiscal year (FY) 2023, the most recent data available. That’s about $2,700 for every person living in the US. As a health insurance program for low-income individuals, Medicaid is jointly funded by both levels of government, with the federal government covering the larger share.
The Affordable Care Act and the data: Who is insured and who isn't
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a comprehensive healthcare reform act signed into law in March 2010, during Barack Obama’s first presidency.The legislation aimed to “make affordable health insurance available to more people” by offering tax credits to some enrollees, expanding Medicaid to be available based on income alone, and supporting innovation to lower the cost of providing healthcare.In early 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported that more than 45 million people had enrolled in ACA-related insurance plans.
How much does Medicare cost the federal government?
About $1.1 trillion in 2024. Spending on Medicare, a federally run health insurance program primarily for people 65 and older, came out to $17,786 per beneficiary or $3,299 for every person in the US.
US obesity rates have tripled over the last 60 years
According to National Institutes of Health surveys conducted since the early 1960s, US obesity rates have tripled over the last 60 years. The number of people classified with severe obesity has risen tenfold. How is obesity measured?A person’s weight class can range from underweight to obese and is calculated with a screening tool called the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is calculated by dividing someone’s weight (in kilograms) by their height (in meters) and a common stand-in for body fat measurement in children and adults, although it doesn’t distinguish between fat, muscle, and bone mass. Severe obesity is a sub-class within the obesity category. How have obesity rates changed over time?In the early 1960s, roughly 13% of people were considered obese under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. Recent figures suggest that the current national obesity rate is closer to 40%. Almost 10% of Americans were categorized as severely obese during the 2021–2023 survey, compared to fewer than 1% in 1960–1962. Childhood obesity rates also rose, tripling from 5% in the early 1970s to over 21% by 2021–2023.
What are the leading causes of death in the US?
In 2022, heart disease, cancer, and accidents were the leading causes of death. Out of the nearly 3.3 million deaths in 2022, over 1.5 million, or 47%, were due to one of these three causes. The fourth, fifth, and sixth most common causes were COVID-19, cerebrovascular diseases, and chronic lower respiratory diseases.
Are fentanyl overdose deaths rising in the US?
In 2023, 72,776 people died from fentanyl overdoses nationwide, 1.4% fewer than the year before. Fentanyl deaths had previously increased every year from 2013 to 2022.
How many police officers die in the line of duty?
In 2024, 107 officers died in the line of duty, according to the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report. Sixty-four were killed feloniously, primarily by firearms.Since the FBI began collecting data on officer deaths in 1996, annual deaths have ranged from a low of 76 in 2013 to a high of 146 in 2001. There were 13 more officer deaths in 2024 than in 2023.
Who has health insurance? Are rates going up?
According to the Census Bureau 92.0% of people in the US had health insurance in 2024. In the past 10 years, the share of people covered by health insurance has been above 90%. Health insurance provides Americans with access to healthcare and offers financial coverage during medical emergencies. Most Americans are insured, but insurance rates still change from year to year due to economic trends (such as those related to COVID-19), demographic shifts (including an aging population), and public policy changes.
Is autism increasing?
The CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network estimates that 3.2% (1 in 31) of 8-year-olds had been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 2022. As diagnostic methods improve and clinical monitoring increases, the identification of autism spectrum disorder in US children has become more prevalent.What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?The CDC defines ASD as “a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.”ASD is caused by neurological differences, which can be caused by known genetic conditions along with other not-yet-identified factors — or most likely, a combination.People with autism may learn, behave, and interact differently than others. Some are nonverbal and need assistance with daily living; others have advanced conversational abilities and live independently with little or no support. According to the CDC, ASD begins before the age of three and is generally lifelong, though symptoms may improve as people age.
How will the One Big Beautiful Bill Act impact Medicaid?
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which was signed into law on July 4, 2025, contains over 30 different provisions related to Medicaid — one of the nation’s largest assistance programs. The legislation is poised to change who may be eligible, how people enroll, and how states fund their programs.Medicaid provides free or low-cost medical insurance to millions of low-income individuals. About 89 million people, or 26% of the population, were covered at some point in fiscal year (FY) 2024.
More kids are getting vaccine exemptions. Here’s where.
Newly-minted kindergarteners are getting ready for school, which means backpacks, crayons, and, for some, vaccine exemption forms. For the 2024–25 school year, 3.6% of kindergarteners had a vaccine exemption, up from 2.2% in 2014–15. The share of kindergarteners with medical exemptions has remained at 0.2% year over year, with little variation. The nonmedical exemption rate has steadily increased, from 2.0% in 2014 to 3.4% in 2024.
Just the Facts about US healthcare and the health of Americans
Americans have faced many health challenges in recent years, from opioid addiction to COVID-19. And accidental deaths are rising. So what does the government spend on health for its citizens?
How many IVF babies are born in the US?
Parents who started assisted reproductive technologies (ART) treatments in 2022 gave birth to 98,289 babies, the vast majority of whom were conceived via in vitro fertilization.From 2013 to 2022, the number of ART processes started more than doubled, and the number of infants born using these methods increased by 44.5%. One out of every 37 babies born in the US in 2022 was conceived using these treatments.
Does access to healthcare differ by race and ethnicity?
Across several measures of health and access to healthcare, American Indian and Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic adults often fare worse than other racial or ethnic identities. In 2024, about 14.8% of Americans were in fair or poor health. Zooming in on demographics reveals disparities between racial and ethnic groups. Adults in four groups — American Indian and Alaska Native, Black, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and Hispanic — report higher rates of fair or poor health than the national average.
How many high schoolers are trans?
About one in 30 high schoolers identifies as transgender, according to the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. What does it mean to be transgender?Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s glossary, “transgender” is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from their sex assigned at birth. People whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth are called “cisgender.”What percentage of US high schoolers are trans?When given a description of what it means to be trans, 3.3% of high schoolers reported that it applied to them. Of the other students, 93.3% of reported not identifying as trans, 2.2% weren’t sure, and 1.3% didn’t understand the question.
How far into pregnancy do most abortions happen?
In 2022, two out of five (40.2%) of reported abortions occurred within the first six weeks of pregnancy. Another 38.4% happened between seven and nine weeks, and 14.2% within 10 and 13 weeks. Put another way, 92.8% of reported abortions were performed before three and a half months of pregnancy.Farther into pregnancy, abortions are less common. Of the remaining 7.2% of reported abortions, 3.0% occurred between 14 and 15 weeks, 1.6% at 16 to 17 weeks, 1.5% at 18 to 20 weeks, and 1.1% at 21 weeks or more.
How many people get sick from foodborne illnesses?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 9.9 million people (or a population that’s a bit more than New Jersey) contract foodborne illnesses every year. Of those, an estimated 53,300 people are hospitalized and 931 die.Foodborne illnesses are severely underreported; some outbreaks are never reported to local health departments, and some are never formally identified because individuals do not seek medical assistance. The CDC’s National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) collects all the data it can, but reporting is voluntary. Based NORS data, the number of reported illnesses decreased 65% from 1998 to 2023. In 2023, 9,521 Americans reported becoming sick from a foodborne illness.
Which states have the highest and lowest life expectancy?
From 2022 to 2023, life expectancy across the United States rose from 77.5 to 78.4 years, according to final death data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).But what exactly does life expectancy mean? And how does it vary by state?How does the government define life expectancy?Life expectancy — also called life expectancy at birth — is a projection of what the average age of death will be for people born today. The estimate is based on age-specific death rates reported in the year of birth.Note that life expectancy is not the same as the average age of death and the death rate. The average age of death in the US is calculated using the ages of every person who died in a given year. Meanwhile, the death rate is based on the proportion of people who died in a specific year.
Drug prices have outpaced inflation since the 1980s
Drug prices were 5.5 times higher in 2024 than in 1985, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, and their increases are outpacing general cost-of-living increases: The cost of medication has gone up three times as fast as the overall rate of inflation, with drugs targeting heart disease rising the fastest.
Do women live longer than men in the US?
In the United States, women are expected to outlive men by 5.3 years. This longevity gap, which was two years in 1900, grew to nearly eight around 1980 before dropping to its current level. What are the average lifespans for men and women born in the US? In 2023, the life expectancy for men born in the United States was 75.8. For women, it was 81.1.
Which vaccines are recommended for American adults?
Federal vaccine recommendations and state mandates only apply to children, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that adults stay up to date on certain vaccines. Which ones? It depends; recommended vaccinations depend on factors like age, pregnancy, or medical conditions increase infection risks.
How many kids are vaccinated?
Children born during the COVID-19 pandemic are getting fewer vaccines compared to children born in the 2010s. To control infectious diseases in the US population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all kids get a set of vaccines known as the “combined 7-series” vaccines, by the time they turn 2. Though trends for the individual vaccines in the series vary, complete vaccination is trending downward: 72.8% of children born in 2020 and 2021 got the full set of seven by 35 months, compared to 74.4% of children born in 2013–2014.What’s included in the combined 7-series vaccines?The series includes vaccines to protect against: Chickenpox (varicella): 1 or more doses Diphtheria, lockjaw (tetanus), and whooping cough (pertussis): 4 or more doses, commonly of the DTaP vaccine Hepatitis B: three or more doses Hib infections: three to four or more doses, depending on the vaccine Measles: one or more doses, commonly of the MMR vaccine Pneumococcal diseases: four or more doses, commonly of the PCV vaccine Polio: three or more doses
Is bird flu impacting egg prices?
Avian flu cases have emerged in flocks of both commercial and wild birds since 2022, contributing to spikes in egg prices, which crossed $4 a dozen in late 2024.What is the avian flu?Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly called the bird flu, is the general term for a group of viruses that usually spread between birds but can also infect mammals, including humans. The symptoms include those usually associated with the flu: fever, cough, sore throat, aches, and fatigue. With bird flu in particular, conjunctivitis is also common.The health risk for humans is low — 67 people contracted bird flu in 2024, resulting in one death, and there hasn’t been any person-to-person spread — but the H5 strain of bird flu has been impacting America’s commercial poultry flocks on a large scale, and is now spreading among herds of cows.
How common are triplets and higher-order births?
In 1998, around 19 in 10,000 babies born in the US was a triplet (or more). By 2023, around seven in 10,000 were. How many is 10,000? It's just over half the capacity of Madison Square Garden. Both medical professionals and the general public have long been interested in pregnancies that result in two or more babies — also called multiple birth pregnancies. While twins are a familiar phenomenon, triplets, quadruplets, or more, are less common.What does “multiple births” mean?The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines “multiple births” as when a pregnancy results in two or more fetuses being delivered. Twin births are the most common type of multiple birth. In 2023, the rate of twin births was 306 per 10,000 births, or 3.06%.
Mammograms are recommended beginning at age 50. Are women getting them?
Adjusting for age, 71.6% of women 50 and older have had a mammogram screening in the past two years. This figure includes women of all backgrounds, including education, race, income level, and other factors, including insurance status — which denotes the biggest gap between who does or doesn’t get screened.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, with approximately 119 per 100,000 women in the United States diagnosed with a new case in 2020. Among women’s cancer deaths, it is the second most common cause, responsible for approximately 19 deaths per 100,000 women in 2020.
Has vehicle traffic returned to pre-pandemic levels?
Preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration has American drivers logging a total of 2,154,571,000,000 miles this year to date — that’s 2.15 trillion — the most vehicle miles traveled during the first eight months of a calendar year since 2019.How much did the pandemic impact vehicle traffic?According to the USAFacts America in Facts 2023 report, the number of miles driven in the US increased at an average rate of 2% annually between 1970 and 2019. In 2020, fewer people traveled to work, school, or other destinations due to the pandemic, and vehicle miles dropped 11%. Miles driven rose again in 2021, 2022, and the first eight months of 2023.
Where mental illness is increasing in the US
In 2019, adults in the US experienced mental illness at a higher rate than the decade prior. Within the previous year, 20.6% of adults had experienced a mental illness, compared to 18.1% in 2009, according to estimates from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.The increase is more pronounced for adults ages 18–25, reflecting trends among children and teens in recent years. The implications reach throughout the world of public policy, prompting discussions about mental health and access to professional services, alternatives to police responses to mental health crises, and the role of schools in addressing mental health at an early age.
Food prices are up as millions of Americans are unemployed
At a time of record unemployment, Americans are paying more for food at the grocery store. In April, national prices for household food items rose 2.6% over March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).This 2.6% change in food is a seasonally adjusted average for a category called the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI) calls “Food at Home.” It’s an overall measure for price fluctuations for items like milk and bread. This increase is in the midst of when people must cook at home and can’t as easily opt for restaurants due to state-mandated closures due to COVID-19.The average price of goods overall declined 0.8%, but clearly not all categories experienced that decline.
Which waterborne illnesses are most common?
In 2020, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study estimated that waterborne illnesses affect around around 7.2 million Americans annually. These illnesses can spread through drinking water, recreational bodies of water like swimming pools and lakes, and via water used for agriculture.What is a waterborne illness?Waterborne illnesses are diseases caused by pathogens — bacteria, viruses, and parasites — that travel via water and are contracted by drinking or encountering contaminated water.What are the most common waterborne illnesses?Per CDC estimates, the five most common waterborne illnesses in the US are:Otitis externa or "swimmer’s ear": A bacterial infection that typically occurs when water stays in the outer ear canal for too long. Although more prevalent among children, anyone can get swimmer’s ear. It’s not contagious.Norovirus: A highly contagious virus that spreads through contaminated food or water — it’s considered both a foodborne and waterborne illness. It often spreads when an infected person handles food without washing their hands first.Giardiasis: A waterborne illness triggered by the microscopic parasite Giardia duodenalis. Giardia parasites spreads by being ingested in contaminated water or food. After infection, the parasite lives in the intestines and can be passed through fecal matter.Cryptosporidiosis: Cryptosporidium, often called “Crypto,” is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. The primary symptom of a Cryptosporidium infection is watery diarrhea. Other symptoms include stomach cramps or pain, dehydration, nausea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss. It can be spread through drinking contaminated water or coming in contact with contaminated fecal matter.Campylobacteriosis: An illness caused by the bacteria Campylobacter, and the most common bacterial cause of diarrheal illness in the United States. Campylobacter spreads mainly through consumption of raw or undercooked poultry, or foods that have been in contact with raw poultry. It can also be transmitted through other foods, contact with infected animals, and untreated water.
The $2 trillion CARES Act, a response to COVID-19, is equivalent to 45% of all 2019 federal spending
Congress passed several major pieces of legislation responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in the past few weeks. What’s the difference between these bills, currently being discussed in phases, and what’s the best way to measure the size of the CARES Act in the context of previous government spending?Phases I & II: First stages of the coronavirus responsePhase One – Health agencies and initial small business loansThis first significant piece of legislation passed on March 6, 2020. H.R. 6074, or the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, provides $8.3 billion in funding for vaccine development, loans for affected small businesses, evacuations and emergency activities at State Department facilities, and other humanitarian assistance.Phase Two – Paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, and food assistancePhase Two refers to H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which passed on March 17, 2020. The law provides roughly $100 billion in tax credits supporting emergency paid leave benefits. It also expands unemployment benefits and requires employers to give approximately two weeks of paid sick leave. The bill also increases access to food and nutrition support for both children and adults by waiving specific program requirements.Phase III: The CARES ActOn March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law, amounting to over $2 trillion in aid. That’s roughly $6,000 per American or 45% of all federal government expenditures in 2019.
How does the government count COVID-19 deaths?
The number of COVID-19 deaths in the US since the pandemic began topped 700,000 in October. This makes the virus the nation’s third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer.Those numbers are preliminary, and the official data will not be complete until at least a year after the government officially ends the public health emergency for the pandemic. With both the provisional and official data tracking causes of death, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires anyone certifying death information to follow international standards from the World Health Organization.When an individual dies, there’s often multiple contributing conditions or factors. Those can create challenges for tracking the cause of death in government data.
How many people die in traffic accidents in the US?
Traffic fatalities increased more than 10% in 2021, according to preliminary data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The increase came along with a rise in out-of-state travel and greater miles traveled in 2021, rebounding after stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Most of the fatalities occurred on multilane highways and freeways.
How have cancer rates changed over time?
Cancer has been one of the top two leading causes of death in the United States for over 75 years. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), nearly 40.5% of all Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.According to NCI data, 2024 could have over 2.0 million new cancer cases. It projects approximately 611,720 people could die from cancer.However, even though the overall number of cases rises as the population grows, fewer people are getting and dying from cancer. Between 2000 and 2021, the incidence rate — or the rate of new cancer cases per 100,000 people — declined by 5.7%, while the annual mortality rate fell by 27.5%.In 2021, age-adjusted figures show 458.3 new cancer cases and 144.2 deaths per 100,000 individuals.
How much is spent on personal healthcare in the US?
Between private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and personal out-of-pocket costs, America spent $3.7 trillion on personal healthcare in 2022, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Personal healthcare expenditures come from various sources including private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and personal out-of-pocket costs.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines personal healthcare as the goods and services relating directly to patient care, such as prescription drugs and hospital care. Expenditures are calculated by adding the total national health expenditures and then subtracting the cost of investment (in research and equipment, for example), health insurance administration, and public health.
How much do Americans binge drink?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists excessive alcohol use as one of the leading preventable causes of death, which they define as “premature deaths that could have been avoided.”The agency, which is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, conducts research and provides guidance on the health effects of excessive alcohol use, which includes binge drinking.What is binge drinking?The CDC defines “excessive alcohol use” as binge drinking, heavy drinking, and any alcohol use by people younger than 21 or who are pregnant.The definition of binge drinking, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is the consumption of enough alcohol to bring the drinker’s blood alcohol concentration level to .08% or more.For men, this typically corresponds with consuming five or more drinks on an occasion, and for women, it’s four or more. Binge drinking is considered “the most common and costly pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States,” according to a 2018 study published by the CDC.Heavy drinking is consuming 15 or more drinks per week for a man, or eight or more drinks per week for a woman.The drinking parameters for pregnant women and young adults have changed over time. In 1981, the US Surgeon General advised pregnant women and those considering pregnancy not to drink at all. This recommendation was reinforced in 2005. In 1984, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act essentially forced states to adopt a legal drinking age of 21.How much do people binge drink in the US?Data from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System showed that nearly one in six adults (15.3%) binge drink. A quarter (25%) of this group did so weekly, on average, and 25% consumed at least eight drinks during a binge occasion. According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 6% of US adults reported heavy drinking.
Gun injuries are killing more Americans. Which communities are most impacted?
The number of people dying from firearm-related incidents has been increasing since 2000 — in particular, deaths increased by 45.5% between 2012 and 2021, with a spike between 2019 and 2021. There were 48,830 firearms deaths in 2021, the highest total number since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began tracking this statistic in 1968. This is a 70% increase from 2000, when there were 28,663 firearm deaths.
How many people die from extreme heat in the US?
For many Americans, managing high summer temperatures has become a fact of life. Unfortunately, the human toll of these longer and more intense heat waves is also increasing.Heat waves — defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as periods of two or more days where the weather is “abnormally and uncomfortably hot” and “outside the historical averages for a given area” — have become more frequent and longer in duration since the middle of the 20th century. In April 2023, 69.7 million Americans lived in counties experiencing higher temperatures than the 20th-century normal.In 2023, Americans are increasingly grappling with prolonged heat waves — sometimes dubbed “heat domes” or “heat islands” by the Environmental Protection Agency — even in areas accustomed to particularly high heat. Phoenix, Arizona, for example, registered an average daily high temperature of 114.7 degrees Fahrenheit in July.