By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Virginians are living almost two years less than they were in 2017, according to a new report lawmakers reviewed Wednesday.
The Joint Commission on Health Care found average life expectancy in the commonwealth fell from 79.5 years in 2017 to 77.6 years in 2022.
Khadeejat Lawal, a health policy analyst with the commission, said the Health Metrics Annual Report is meant to track multi-year health trends and provide a baseline for future studies.
She told lawmakers the numbers show life expectancy has steadily declined since 2017, driven by overdoses, COVID-19 and chronic disease, while insurance coverage and health costs continue to influence outcomes.
That drop shows stark gaps across the commonwealth. Manassas Park residents can expect to live an average of 88.9 years, while Petersburg residents average just 64.3, a nearly 25-year difference, according to the report.
Director Sarah Stanton said the report is meant to serve as a baseline. She told lawmakers future reviews could explore how COVID-19, care access and social conditions factored into the declines.
The report pointed to drug overdoses as one of the biggest drivers. Virginia’s overdose deaths nearly doubled during the pandemic, climbing from 18.1 per 100,000 residents in 2019 to 30.5 in 2021 before easing in recent years to 16.3.
Chronic illnesses also continue to rise. Heart disease, diabetes and hypertension all increased between 2018 and 2023.
The report noted changes in health coverage. By 2023, Virginia’s uninsured rate dropped to 7.9%, but fewer residents had private insurance, and more than 9% said cost kept them from seeking care.
Lawmakers reacted to the numbers with different priorities.
Del. Marcia Price argued that policy choices have long shaped outcomes in struggling communities.
“Petersburg did not just end up at 64.3 years,” she said, adding that equity needs to be part of how legislators craft new laws.
Del. Bobby Orrock suggested studying the localities that improved their life expectancy alongside those with the steepest losses. He pointed to Norton, which dropped nine years in five years, compared to Lexington, which gained four.
“That will give us the most amount of data we can actually start crafting public policy around,” Orrock said.
Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, pressed for data on state-funded pilot programs in local jails and asked whether addiction and mental health initiatives were also reducing recidivism.
The meeting ended without votes on new studies or legislation.
