At present, the gender gap in life expectancy in the United States has become the largest since 1996. At birth, this outlook changed for all population groups, and the average lifespan fell from 78.8 years in 2019 to 76.4 in 2021. This drop is apparent in both groups. For gentlemen, it decreased from 76.3 years to 73.5 years.
The exact figure for ladies was reduced to 79.3 years from 81.4 years. A 2019 statistic shows that women had a magnitude of 5.1 years’ longevity superior to men’s. Split by 5.8 years by the end of 2021, it increased the gap significantly.
Although noticeable genetic differences have partly contributed to this disparity, most authorities attribute the problem to modifiable factors such as diet and exercise, psychological state, and receptiveness to treatment. This article explores the factors contributing to the widening of the projected gap between the sexes. It examines how insurers can be crucial in addressing the male mortality crisis.
The Scope of the Rift
According to a paper that was done by the Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), the risks of men facing preventable deaths are even higher than those of ladies. This includes deaths due to heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, and injuries resulting from suicide. Another study by the American Institute for Boys and Men confirmed the alarming statistic: in 2023, it was found that guys are 40% more likely to die by suicide than the opposite sex. This indicates that they also face mental problems at a rate 40% higher than women.
Next, the Georgetown University Centre for Men’s Health Equity revealed in a June 2024 study that men have higher age-standardized mortality from 13 of the top causes of death in the United States. In addition to heart disease and cancer, other serious issues include stroke, diabetes, and liver disease.
This trajectory continues to widen, especially since public policies increasingly focus on women’s well-being. For instance, the Affordable Care Act has 44 preventive care provisions for patients, and only one was designated for men. Females, too, use healthcare services more frequently, being three times more frequent visitors to doctors than men, undoubtedly associated with their longer life expectancy.
Key points of this growing issue include:
The mortality rate among men 65 years of age is higher than that of women of the same age. This is the case with 13 of the top 15 leading causes of death in the United States.
More specifically, current health-oriented U.S. public policy trends do not wholly provide preventive care for men as with women.
Decision-makers in the insurance industry may want to consider broadening the role of underwriters as enduring health companions in response to this absence, thus enhancing the results for male policyholders.
Early Intervention and Wellness
This stark gender divide allows coverage providers to move from being simple takers of premiums to being annual or lifelong healthcare providers. What they can do is:
Provide More Offerings: Adding wellness improvement features to life and health insurance products can help prevent and manage diseases.
Engage in Disease Management: Integrating blended models that include technology based on tracking symptoms of various complications can help encourage early treatment among men, thereby reducing associated long-term mortality rates.
Promote Early Intervention: Designing milestones and cultural encouragements that promote early checkups and treatment can help solve unnoticed diseases in men.
Address Mental Health: Underwriters can help reduce deaths of despair among men by making it easier for them to access psychological support. This can be done through counseling, therapy, and support groups.
The insurance industry must manage the increasing gap between genders’ expected lifespans. Risk management companies should pay particular attention to prevention, early detection, and mental health to increase longevity. Changing the culture of masculinity will require steps from assurance companies, medical professionals, and people themselves.
Mental Health is a Major Contributor to Male Mortality
One primary reason for this is the difference in psychological well-being between the two sexes. The provisional data from the CDC show that men are much less likely to turn to doctors for help with mental health problems than women, and the ratio is 13.4% to 24.7%. This mindset contributes to the rise in death rates from issues like depression, suicide, and what are called ‘deaths of despair.’ According to RGA, closing this gap is essential for the overall approach to the problem of male mortality.
The Role of Preventive Care and Treatment Access
Public health policies that limit access to medical treatment and the uneven distribution of medical facilities contribute to this growing issue. Many government programs encourage women to visit doctors for regular check-ups. Further, ladies have more frequent doctor appointments, including annual visits to gynecologists, hypertension control to multiple prescription medicines, and screening for cancer and heart diseases that have been found to enhance overall wellness.
According to RGA’s research, interaction with the healthcare system raises life expectancy. Differences in doctor visits and preventive care mean men take fewer preventive approaches and lose chances to manage diseases that could otherwise be avoided.
How Insurers Can Address the Mortality Discrepancy Between Genders
Because insurance occupies a very important position in the medical care system, RGA believes that the coverage providers have a chance to decrease the mortality gap with a particular focus on policyholders. This could mean adding wellness services, disease management, and mental health support to policies. Apps and wearable devices could encourage beneficiaries to engage in reasonable lifestyles or manage diseases cautiously, enabling them to avoid unnecessary and premature demise.
However, one area that should particularly interest underwriters is emotional stability among gentlemen. The sector needs more mental health facilities and to encourage men to seek help when they’re feeling down. This approach could help reduce the number of deaths from poor psychological states and related issues. Creating unique websites and apps for therapy and support can help more people access professional psychological help since they often may not want to have traditional therapy. In addition, underwriters may develop products that promote annual medical examinations, cancer, and diabetes, among other disease detection products. Thus, risk managers can increase male life duration by promoting wellness and early activities and decrease mortality rates.
A Broader Cultural Shift
So, while insurance has a significant role, tackling the divide will necessitate a reformation far broader than any changes within that particular sector. Society needs to change the culture around men’s well-being. It must become socially acceptable for gentlemen to go for check-ups and improve their quality of life, and how policy issuers, health practitioners, and policyholders can make this possible.
It will help lower mortality rates among gentlemen and promote the risk carrier industry because people do not expect to claim insurance in cases of preventable diseases. RGA believes that by addressing the causes of the gender mortality gap and other related social issues, claims providers can help improve male mortality and reduce the difference in the average age at death between these groups.
