Nebraska's infant mortality in 2000 was 7.3 per 1,000 live births. In 1999, there were 5,807 abortions performed in the state, a ratio of 15 per 1,000 women. In 2000, the overall death rate stood at 897.5 per 1,000 population, above the national rate of 873.1.
Major causes of death in 2000 were heart disease (251.3 per 100,000 residents), cerebrovascular diseases (65.3), pneumonia (25.9), accidents and adverse effects (38.3), and suicide (11.6). The rate of HIV-related deaths in 2000 was 1.5 per 100,000, much lower than the US average of 5.3; a total of 1,167 AIDS cases had been reported through 2001. Also in 2000, 21.4% of adults 18 years and older were smokers. The rate of death from lung disease was 65.5 per 100,000 population in 2000.
University Hospital and University of Nebraska Medical Center are in Omaha. Nebraska's 84 community hospitals had 206,700 admissions and 8,324 beds in 2001. There were 7,304 full-time registered nurses and 1,369 full-time licensed practical nurses in 2001 and 245 physicians per 100,000 population in 2000. The average expense of a community hospital for care was $1,543.90 per inpatient day in 2001.
Federal government grants to cover the Medicare and Medicaid services in 2001 totaled $752 million; 254,680 enrollees received Medicare benefits that year. Only 9.5% of Nebraska's adult residents were uninsured in 2002, the lowest percentage of any state.