New Study: Over 1 Million Americans Could Have Avoided Death if U.S. Mortality Rates Matched Wealthy Countries
A new study has found that more than 1 million people in the United States could have avoided death in 2021 if the country had the same mortality rates as other wealthy nations. The research has coined the term “Missing Americans” to refer to these excess deaths.
According to Jacob Bor, an epidemiologist at Boston University, the number of Missing Americans in recent years is unprecedented in modern times. He emphasizes that the US is experiencing a crisis of early death that is unique among wealthy nations.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global increase in mortality, the US has experienced an even more severe rise compared to other wealthy countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK. What’s concerning is that the US is failing to recover at the same rate as other Western nations, with this mortality trend already on the rise for the past four decades.
One striking finding from the study is that this problem disproportionately affects minority groups, with mortality rates up to eight times higher on average for Native Americans. However, it’s important to note that this issue is not confined to minorities, as two-thirds of the Missing Americans are White Americans.
Bor explains that Americans of all races and ethnicities are negatively impacted by the US policy environment, which lacks a strong focus on public health and social protections, particularly for low-income individuals.
The study, conducted by Bor and colleagues, compared mortality data from the US to 21 other wealthy countries from 1933 to 2021. The US previously had the lowest mortality rates among its peer group during World War II and its aftermath. However, since the 1980s, the number of Missing Americans has steadily increased.
In 2019, this number reached 622,534 people and has exceeded a million in the years since, primarily due to the catastrophic loss of life during the COVID-19 pandemic, surpassing the mortality rates of other wealthy nations.
Of particular concern is that half of the Missing Americans in 2021 were under the age of 65. Bor and his colleagues suggest that various factors contribute to this increase, such as higher rates of homicide, suicide, car crashes, sexually transmitted infections, drug abuse, and other diseases.
The researchers argue that this reflects broad policy failures. While other comparable countries experienced similar structural changes, including automation, increases in global trade, shifts to the service sector, and wage pressures, the US failed to protect those with the fewest educational opportunities.
Steffie Woolhandler, a physician at the City University of New York, notes that the US wastes vast sums of money on health insurers’ profits and paperwork, while millions cannot afford medical care, healthy food, or decent housing. This prioritization of corporate profits over health contributes to Americans dying younger compared to their counterparts in other countries.
The researchers highlight the need to increase minimum wages, establish safety nets, and provide affordable healthcare for the working population to reduce inequality and improve the well-being of vulnerable individuals. These solutions have shown success in other comparison countries, but their implementation faces political challenges in the US, where vested interests often hinder progress.
The researchers warn that even without the pandemic, a return to pre-pandemic conditions would not be enough to end the US mortality crisis. They emphasize the importance of ensuring access to healthcare and social welfare benefits for all residents as a starting point to address this issue.
However, the pandemic has further aggravated these problems. Bor points out that the backlash unleashed during the pandemic has undermined trust in the government and support for policies aimed at improving population health. This apprehension towards expansive policies may have long-lasting and harmful impacts on public health outcomes in the US.
The findings of this study were published in the journal PNAS Nexus, shedding light on the urgency to address the mortality crisis in the US and implement systemic changes to prioritize public health and social welfare.