UnitedHealth's 2022 Senior Health Report: 10 things to know

Drug deaths among seniors have doubled over the last decade, but a record number received flu vaccines in 2020, according to the United Health Foundation's 10th annual "America's Health Rankings Senior Report."

"What stood out to me was the good news around high health status. As we all age, the importance of maintaining our independence as long as it's safe to do so is really important," Rhonda Randall, DO, executive vice president and chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare employer and individual, said in a report briefing with reporters. "What really concerns me is that with the pandemic, that data is sobering. Probably even more so the mental health measures in here concern me. We saw them before the pandemic, and they got worse during the pandemic. That really is a call to action."

The report includes data on physical environment, social and economic factors, behaviors, and clinical care and how they affect health outcomes. A total of 62 measures were used from 21 publicly available sources to provide a closer look at state metrics.

Key findings for those over 65:

1. Those who report being in very good or excellent health increased 13 percent, growing from 38.4 percent in 2011 to 43.5 percent in 2020. The statistic has increased 2.5 percent since 2019 alone.
   
   
2. Teeth extractions have fallen 17 percent, decreasing from 16.1 percent in 2012 to 13.4 percent in 2020.
   
   
3. Between 2011 and 2020, there was an 11 percent increase in flu vaccination rates, growing from 60.6 percent to 67.3 percent, the highest ever recorded.
   
   
4. Between 2019 and 2020, early deaths increased 17 percent from 1,765 to 2,072 deaths per 100,000 adults ages 65 to 74. Seniors of color were disproportionately affected.
   
   
5. Over the past decade, there's been a 147 percent increase in drug deaths in adults ages 65 to 74, with a majority from non-prescription opioids. Among all over 65, drug deaths doubled.
   
   
6. In 2020, 8.1 percent said they experience frequent mental distress, an increase of 8 percent since 2011.
   
   
7. The prevalence of self-reported depression has increased 9 percent since 2011, with 14.2 percent in 2020.
   
   
8. Since 2011, excessive drinking and obesity rates have increased 16 percent, while smoking rates have not changed.
   
   
9. Healthiest states for seniors in 2022: Utah, Vermont, Minnesota, Connecticut and Colorado.
   
   
10. Unhealthiest states for seniors in 2022: Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Oklahoma.

Read the full report here.