The National Death Index: The Ways We Die
It is probably not something to ponder about on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, but are you aware there is an actual National Death Index? It is a compilation of data about death and its causes. It is actually a function of the U.S. Government and is published by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). It is connected with the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The National Death Index is used by colleges and universities, medical facilities and governmental agencies when researching death related data. Just what is in this National Death Index, where does its information come from, and what does it indicate about how we may die?
The National Death Index contains almost 100 million records from across all 50 states. Its information comes from death records and certificates, studies regarding mortality and other research about death.
The National Death Index data is not available to just anyone. There is an application process for full access to its information. Only about 100 organizations apply to have access each year and the approval process can take two to three months.
The National Death Index contains some intriguing data.
- Survival time of patients with like diseases
- Occupational related mortality risks
- Effective rates of certain surgeries
- The impact of dietary intake in regard to death
- The correlation between death rates and the costs of health and end-of-life care
- Mortality risks of vulnerable populations like children and developmentally disabled.
The most frequent cause of death in the United States? Heart and heart related diseases.
A lot of this information is not different from that that goes into determining your life insurance premiums. Factors like age, gender, physical condition and personal health care habits will have an impact on your life insurance rates.
The bottom line is that the best, most affordable time to secure health insurance is when you are young and healthy, so don’t take that for granted.
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