Health, United States Spotlight

Health Care Utilization & Resources April 2017

ABOUT HEALTH, UNITED STATES

Health, United States is the annual report on health, produced by the 

National Center for Health Statistics and submitted by the Secretary of 

the Dept. of Health and Human Services to the President and Congress. 

The report uses data from government sources as well as private and 

global sources to present an overview of national health trends. This 

infographic features indicators from the report’s Utilization of Health 

Resources and Health Care Resources sections.

For more information, visit the Health, United States website at:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm.

Four Subject Areas

of Health, United States

 Health status

& determinants

Utilization 

of health 

resources

Health care 

resources

Health care 

expenditures

& payers

ACCESS TO NEEDED CARE

ABOUT THE DATA

Source: NCHS/National 

Health Interview Survey 

(NHIS)

Respondents are:

• Civilians

• Not part of Armed 

Forces active duty

• Noninstitutionalized

• Not living in a long-term 

care facility

• Not incarcerated

Notes: 

• Geographic regions are 

based on U.S. Census 

Regions.

• Difficulty accessing 

needed medical care 

includes experiencing 

delays or not receiving 

needed care due to cost.

Percent

2005 2010

25

20

15

10

5

0

2015

Difficulty accessing needed medical care in the past year 

due to cost among adults aged 18–64, by geographic 

region: 2005–2015

11.0

7.7

9.5

9.9

South 

West

Northeast

Midwest

Difficulty accessing needed 

medical care due to cost 

INCREASEDduring the 

first half

of 2005–2015 and then

DECREASEDduring the 

second half

for adults across all four regions.

Overall, between 2005 and 2015, 

difficulty accessing medical care 

due to cost decreased for adults 

in the South and in the West.

12.6%

11.1%

11.0%

 9.5%

SOUTH WEST

–1.6

–1.6

There was no significant change 

for those in the Northeast or 

Midwest.

In 2015, about 10 out of every 100 adults aged 18–64 had difficulty accessing needed 

medical care due to cost, and this varied by region. (See Health, United States.)

WEST

9.5%

MIDWEST

9.9%

SOUTH

11.0%

NORTHEAST

7.7%

DC

Adults in the Northeast had the 

least difficultyaccessing needed 

medical care due to cost in 2015.

Meanwhile, adults in the South had the 

greatest difficultyaccessing needed 

medical care due to cost in 2015.
SUPPLY OF DENTISTS

ABOUT THE DATA

Source: American Dental 

Association/Health Policy 

Institute (ADA/HPI)

Note: Active dentists 

include those who are 

licensed and are:

• Practicing in private 

practices or hospitals

• In the Armed Forces

• Dental school faculty 

staff members

• Graduate students or 

residents

• Government employees

Supply of dentists in the United States, by state: 2016

SOUTH

MIDWEST NORTHEAST

WEST

41.16–50.27

DC

50.28–54.59

54.60–66.23

66.24–88.52

Active dentists per 

100,000 population

Quartile 1

Quartile 2

Quartile 3

Quartile 4

U.S. TOTAL SUPPLY

OF DENTISTS, 2016

60.79 ACTIVE DENTISTS

FOR 

EVERY100,000 PEOPLE 

IN 2016

This was 5.1% higher than the 

dentist supply a decade ago.

2006 2016

57.85 60.79 5.1%

FLU VACCINATION

ABOUT THE DATA

Source: NCHS/National 

Health Interview Survey 

(NHIS)

Respondents are:

• Civilians

• Not part of Armed 

Forces active duty

• Noninstitutionalized

• Not living in a longterm care facility

• Not incarcerated

Note: Flu vaccination 

includes the flu nasal 

spray as well as the flu 

shot.

36.2

25.5

48.1

70.5

68.0

Percent

90

60

30

0

2005 2010 2015

By age: 2005–2015 By age and gender: 2015

Flu vaccination coverage in the past year among adults aged 18 and over

Men

Women

65 years and over

45–64 years

18–44 years

18–44 years 45–64 years 65 years and 

over

69.1

45.1

30.9

42.0

Flu vaccination coverage

INCREASED

for adults of all three age 

groups from 2005–2015.

In 2015, adults over age 65 were

TWO TIMES MORE LIKELY 

than adults aged 18–44 to 

receive the flu vaccination.

7 out of 10 adults over 

age 65 had a flu vaccine.

3 out of 10 adults aged 

18–44 had a flu vaccine.

For adults aged 18–44 and 45–64, 

flu vaccination coverage was 

higher for women than for men.

For adults over age 65, there was no 

difference in coverage by gender.

For additional information on Health, United States, see

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm.

For further information about NCHS and its programs, see 

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs.