American life expectancy is now at its lowest in nearly two decades. As a physician and public health director, I intend to lead in Congress and fight for overdue systematic healthcare reform.
The United States is at a significant health disadvantage when living in America is worse for someone's health and makes one more likely to die younger than if they lived in another wealthy country.
Help me get to Congress to create change. Donate now.
According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans' average life expectancy shortened by over seven months last year.
That decrease follows an already significant decline of 1.8 years in 2020. As a result, the expected lifespan of someone born in the U.S. is now 76.4 years — the shortest in nearly two decades.
Why?
Deterioration of Public Health
Broken Medical Care System
Individual Behaviors (Diet & Tobacco)
Social Factors (Poverty & Inequality)
Public Policies and Values
A big part of the difference between life and death in the U.S. and its peer countries is people dying or killed before age 50 through diseases of despair - suicide, drug overdoses, and violence.
Can we do something about this? Yes.
Should we do something about this? Yes.
Is the data below the best we can do? No.
Congress has 170+ lawyers and 80+ veterans representing districts on the Hill, but not one trusted family physician, neither a Democrat nor a Republican. When nearly 30% of our federal budget is on medical care expenses, we need a “Doctor in the House” to lead reform.
When the Nation suffers from diseases of despair — drugs, alcohol, suicide, and a mental health crisis — my life’s work and my training as a social worker, in public health, an addiction specialist, and a family physician can serve a greater purpose in Congress.
Can you chip in to help me fight for a publicly-funded, non-profit, national health insurance program that will fully cover medical costs for all Americans and reduce wasteful medical expenses?
Americans are spending too much on healthcare. We need to spend more time treating patients than we do billing them.
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