Making Health Care Count: Health Policy Impacts of the U.S. Census

As decreed by the constitution, the United States must complete a census every ten years, and attempt to count every resident in the country. The census's primary purpose is to apportion the number of seats for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, the decennial count also shapes many health policy issues, including determining how billions of federal funds are distributed throughout the county, identifying historically underrepresented populations, and providing data sets for public health and health services researchers. This briefing will provide an overview of how census data is collected, analyzed, and utilized, with a particular focus on how this process impacts health policy and public health. Panelists will also highlight early insights from the 2020 census and discuss any opportunities and challenges policymakers should be aware of.