Mortality rates and infant death rates are above the national average in Indiana. In 2000, the overall mortality rate stood at 928.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, as compared to the national average of 873.1. In 2000, the infant mortality rate was 7.8 per 1,000 live births, as compared with the national average of 6.9. Also, in 1999, 12,109 legal abortions were performed in the state; the legal abortion ratio was 9 per 1,000 women.
The principal causes of death, with rates of death 936.4 per 100,000 population in 2000, were heart disease, 271.2 (274.0 age-adjusted); cerebrovascular diseases, 71.1 (71.9 age-adjusted); accidents and adverse effects, 35.8 (35.8 age-adjusted); motor vehicle injuries 15.4 (15.3 age-adjusted); and suicide, 11.4 (11.4 age-adjusted). Of the population age 18 and older, 27.0% were classified as smokers in 2000. The rate of HIV-related deaths stood at 2.0 per 100,000 population, below the national average of 5.3 in 2000. There were 6,515 AIDS cases reported through 2001.
In 1994, the Indiana State Department of Health identified public health priorities that will be used to develop agency-wide integrated work plans and evaluate the effectiveness of disease intervention and prevention strategies. These priorities included chronic disease (breast and lung cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes); communicable disease (HIV and STDs, vaccine preventable diseases, emerging conditions); environmental disease (foodborne and waterborne diseases, lead exposure, oral health); infant mortality (infant mortality and high-risk pregnancy); and injury (intentional and unintentional).
Indiana's 110 community hospitals had 718,369 admissions and 19,036 beds in 2001. There were 21,468 full-time registered nurses and 3,160 full-time licensed practical nurses in 2001 and 219 physicians per 100,000 population in 2000. The average expense of a community hospital for care was $1,381.30 per inpatient day in 2001.
Federal government grants to cover the Medicare and Medicaid services in 2001 totaled $2.7 billion; 858,150 enrollees received Medicare benefits that year. At least 11.8% of the population was uninsured in 2002.