CDC Reports Latest Health Statistics in United States
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Posted on Feb 26, 2010, 6 a.m.
US life expectancy is up, but per-capita health costs stand at $6,219 for each American.
The United States Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) issued the 33rd Annual “State of the Nation,” a 574-page report on health in the US. Reporting on data collected in 2006 and 2007, highlights include:
• In 2007, life expectancy at birth for the total population reached a record high of 77.9 years, up from 75.4 years in 1990
• Adults reaching age 65 years can expect to live another 18.5 years.
• Among Americans of all ages, 10% are in poor or fair health. At age 65 or older, 27% of Americans are in poor or fair health.
Noting that “The United States spends a larger share of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health than does any other major industrialized country” the “State of the Nation” reports that each American, on average, spent $6,219 on health care in 2007, totaling $1.9 trillion in doctor, hospital, and pharmacy bills collectively.
“Health: United States, 2009.” National Center for Health Statistics, January 2010; http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus09.pdf.
