Public Policy Affects Life Expectancy
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Abortion Rights Ballot Initiatives
At least half of Republican voters in Arizona and Nevada say they would vote for ballot initiatives this November that protect abortion access, according to a pair of Fox News polls released Wednesday.
Fifty percent of Republicans in Arizona and 54 percent of Republicans in Nevada say they would vote for their states’ proposed constitutional amendments to “establish the right to an abortion up until fetal viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health,” according to the polls, which were conducted Aug. 23-26.
Overall, 73 percent of Arizona voters say they back the proposed state amendment, including 95 percent of Democrats and 76 percent of independents. The amendment is backed by 96 percent of self-described liberals, 81 percent of self-described moderates and 52 percent of self-described conservatives.
Overall, 75 percent of Nevada voters back the ballot initiative, including 95 percent of Democrats and 76 percent of independents. It is also backed by 96 percent of liberal voters, 81 percent of moderates and 57 percent of conservatives.(The Hill)
Facts and Data Feed Decisions
When you have data you can determine where problems might exist. When I was an engineer I was also a Six Sigma instructor and taught how to identify solutions to problems when the data said something wasn’t right.
Here is an organization in the US government, The National Center for Health Statistics, NCHS, and here is their website, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm.
They track all kinds of things, maternal mortality, infant mortality, COVID statistics, even life expectancy. Here you can find their publication schedule for reports to the end of the year.
Here is an image from the report detailing life expectancies at birth. Note that Louisiana is worst (70.9) and Hawaii is best (79.9) Typically, people in states with expanded Medicaid, more worker and environmental protections have longer life spans.
Time magazine did a pretty good analysis of data and found that wealthier Americans live significantly longer than poor Americans (87 years vs 67 years). Poverty in America is not about income alone. Low-income communities, regardless of the state, are more likely to struggle with access to affordable healthcare; they are more likely to live near toxic sites and develop lung cancer; they are more likely to live in food deserts and wrestle with illnesses like heart disease and obesity; and they are more likely to die younger from drug overdoses.
They also found a handful of policies that make a huge difference.
Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
Residents in states that have adopted both the EITC and CTC tend to live 2 years longer than states which have implemented neither. This may even be more cost effective at increasing life expectancy than many other policies. These programs are designed to support children, too. Keep in mind that about a week ago Republican Senators decided not to re-enhance the federal Earned Income Tax Credit.
Medicaid Expansion
States that expanded Medicaid saved more than 200 lives per every 100,000 people and decreased the risk of premature death by roughly 50% for older adults who gained coverage. As Nobel-Prize wining economist Paul Krugman explained, “Some of the poorest states in America, with the lowest life expectancy, are still refusing to expand Medicaid even though the federal government would cover the bulk of the cost.”
Gun Control
Stronger gun control measures in states also improve life expectancy. The South, which has some of the most lenient gun control measures, lost 5.7 million years of life expectancy in the period 2009-2018 from firearm related deaths. Conversely, Northeastern states, which tend to have much stronger gun control measures like background checks and secure storage laws, had one-fifth the loss in life expectancy. Guns are now the #1 killer of children in America and 1 in 25 American 5-year olds now won’t live to see 40, largely due to guns. If we stopped these deaths, it would effectively add 3 years of life to every 5-year old in the South.
Drug Overdose Prevention: States that introduced policies to prevent drug overdose deaths saw life expectancies increase by 11%. The CDC estimates that half of all the unintentional deaths last year that took people’s lives too early were attributed to drug overdoses.
Abortion Access
Lastly, while the data has not fully revealed the impact of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, this decision may drive further divides in life expectancy for Southern states that have in turn limited abortion access. Arkansas has a maternal mortality rate that is 50% higher than the national average. In Mississippi, it is 75x more dangerous for women to carry a pregnancy to term than to have an abortion due to poor healthcare. Mississippi has the lowest life expectancy in America at 71. Causing more women to carry a pregnancy to term may increase deaths of mothers in their 20s-40s.
Summary
Raising people and children out of poverty (EITC, CTC), expanding Medicaid, gun control, drug overdose prevention, and legalized abortion are the things that increase life expectancy in our country.
One political party wants abortion illegal, wants to proliferate guns, does not want the EITC and the CTC - Republicans.
Democrats are on the opposite side of all of these. Voting accordingly can impact all of us.
Vote accordingly.
Find My Elected Officials
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Healthcare Advocacy (Us) Website
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Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Organizations to Contact
National Nurses United Medicare4All
Physicians for a National Health Program
One Payer States
Healthcare Now
Reproductive Health
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Charley. chatbot abortion resource - make sure to use a secure incognito browser if you live in a state that has banned abortion
Planned Parenthood
Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.
United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.
Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.
If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org
Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do
Appeal a Healthcare Decision
Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill
Disinformation Management
Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency
Save Democracy
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens
RESISTBOT
Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more
Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water RESISTBOT write up
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Dear Alan,
In case you haven't seen this article by the wonderful Paul Starr from late last year, I think you'll like it. It makes the point you make, but also outlines the case why the major driver of the differences in the correlations is, in fact, the policy differences over the last 50 years. I put it on the HCR4US Toolkit here:
https://lwvhealthcarereform.org/current-legislation/#policy-cost
Keep up the good work,
Barbara