As of 2000, Rhode Island's infant mortality rate was 6.3 per 1,000 live births. Despite the state's heavy Catholic population, 5,004 abortions were performed in 1999, a ratio of 23 per 1,000 women, the nation's 7th-highest rate. Death rates from heart disease (312.7 per 100,000 population) and cancer (244.3)—the leading causes of death in 2000—were well above the national averages. In the same year, the overall death rate of 1006.6 per 100,000 ranked well above the national rate of 873.1.
The rate of death from HIV-related infections stood at 3.8 per 100,000 population, below the US average of 5.3 in 2000.A total of 2,153 AIDS cases had been reported in Rhode Island through 2001. Among Rhode Island adults ages 18 and older, 23.5% were smokers. The death rate due to lung disease stood at 71.5 per 100,000 population in 2000.
Rhode Island's 11 community hospitals had 120,901 admissions and 2,449 beds in 2001. There were 3,066 full-time registered nurses and 294 full-time licensed practical nurses in 2001 and 357 physicians per 100,000 population in 2000. The average expense of a community hospital for care was $1,503.70 per inpatient day in 2001.
Federal government grants to cover the Medicare and Medicaid services in 2001 totaled $711 million; 171,822 enrollees received Medicare benefits that year. Only 7.7% of Rhode Island residents were uninsured in 2002.