Compare health outcomes data across different policy approaches — with peer-reviewed sources and methodological clarity
This tool lets you explore documented relationships between specific policy areas and measurable health outcomes. Rather than making causal claims, we present the data: mortality statistics, healthcare access metrics, and environmental health indicators organized by policy type and state.
The evidence is complex. Health outcomes depend on multiple factors—socioeconomic status, state demographics, healthcare infrastructure, and yes, policy choices. This tool helps you see the data and judge for yourself, with citations to peer-reviewed research and government databases.
Select a policy area below to see state-by-state comparisons, trend data, and links to the underlying research.
Select a policy area (Healthcare, Gun Policy, Environmental, etc.) and a health metric (mortality rate, life expectancy, etc.). The tool displays state-level data comparing outcomes in states with different policy approaches.
Each data point includes a source link so you can verify the underlying research. Note that correlation doesn't equal causation—health outcomes result from multiple factors including demographics, healthcare infrastructure, economy, and behavior. This tool helps you see the patterns in the data without making causal claims.
Medicaid Expansion: Starting in 2014, states could choose to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. By 2025, 38 states had expanded; 12 had not. States that expanded show an average uninsured rate of 8.2%, while non-expansion states average 11.4% (US Census 2024).
CDC and NIH research on healthcare access shows associations between insurance coverage and preventive care utilization, with documented life expectancy differences of approximately 1.3 years between expansion and non-expansion state groups on average. However, states differ in demographics, existing healthcare infrastructure, and other policies that also affect outcomes.
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, US Census Bureau, CDC
Policy Approaches: States vary widely in gun regulations—background checks, permit requirements, waiting periods, and assault weapon restrictions. The CDC Wonder database tracks gun-related mortality by state and year.
States with comprehensive gun regulations show average gun death rates of 5.3 per 100,000 residents, while states with minimal restrictions average 14.2 per 100,000 (CDC 2023). This includes homicides, suicides, and accidents. Research from multiple institutions has attempted to model the relationship, with some studies estimating regulatory effects account for 10-40% of variance depending on methodology.
Important Note: Gun violence correlates with multiple factors including poverty, urbanization, gang activity, and substance abuse. Isolating policy effects requires careful statistical analysis that experts disagree on.
Source: CDC WONDER Database, RAND Corporation, American Journal of Epidemiology
EPA Standards: The EPA sets air and water quality standards that states must meet. Implementation and enforcement vary. States that actively enforce stricter standards show lower PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) levels: 7.1 µg/m³ versus 9.8 µg/m³ in areas with minimal enforcement.
Air pollution research links PM2.5 exposure to respiratory disease, heart disease, and premature mortality. Studies from Harvard School of Public Health and others estimate that each 10 µg/m³ increase in annual PM2.5 is associated with roughly 4-7% increase in mortality from respiratory and cardiovascular causes. However, pollution sources include vehicles, industry, and weather patterns—policy effects are one factor among many.
Source: EPA AirNow, Harvard Environmental Health Study, Environmental Research journals
Prescription Regulations: States have adopted different approaches to opioid prescribing—pill mill laws, prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), and quantity limits. States with stricter prescription policies show opioid death rates around 8.4 per 100,000, while states with more lenient policies average 22.1 per 100,000 (CDC 2024).
However, opioid deaths also depend on substance abuse treatment availability, fentanyl supply (a separate policy issue), socioeconomic factors, and prior opioid exposure. The relationship between prescribing policy and overdose deaths is well-documented, but multiple policy and market forces interact.
Source: CDC WONDER Database, NIH, Journal of the American Medical Association
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