US Drops to #49 in Life Expectancy

[magekillr]

Just to underscore the rapidity of the decline, as recently as 1999, the U.S. was ranked by the World Health Organization as 24th in life expectancy.

 

A study from Columbia University released on October 7 2010 says that a sick health care system has kept the U.S. from keeping pace with the increases in life expectancy being seen in other industrialized nations.

 

While the U.S. has high obesity rates, smoking rates, poor eating habits and continues to be a leader in death by murder and traffic accidents, Columbia University's research group says the results of their research indicate the reason life expectancy is not achieving the kind of growth other nations are is America's health care system, not lifestyle factors.

 

"The U.S. doesn't stand out as doing any worse in these areas than any of the other countries we studied, leading us to believe that failings in the U.S. health-care system, such as costly specialized and fragmented care, are likely playing a large role in relatively poor performance on improvements in life expectancy," study co-author Prof. Peter Muennig said.

 

Muennig, who is an assistant professor of health policy and management at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, in New York City and a health-policy expert, compiled the study with Prof. Sherry A. Glied, also of the Mailman School. It was published in the journal Health Affair.

 

The data they examined in the study, along with U.S. statistics, was from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. Between 1975 and 2005, the study found, life expectancy and health care costs in those countries rose. However while health-care costs rose faster in the States the life expectancy rates of its citizens rose slower.

 

More here: http://www.suite101.com/content/us-life-expectancy-slows-study-blames-sick-health-care-system-a295102

 

Oh, but that's not all. Here's some data from 2009:

 

Premature births, often due to poor care of low-income pregnant women, are the main reason the U.S. infant mortality rate is higher than in most European countries, a government report said Tuesday.

 

About 1 in 8 U.S. births are premature. Early births are much less common in most of Europe; for example, only 1 in 18 babies are premature in Ireland and Finland.

 

Poor access to prenatal care, maternal obesity and smoking, too-early cesarean sections and induced labour and fertility treatments are among the reasons for preterm births, experts said.

 

Premature babies born before 37 weeks tend to be more fragile and have under-developed lungs, said the lead author of the new report, Marian MacDorman of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

Premature births are the chief reason the U.S. ranks 30th in the world in infant mortality, with a rate more than twice as high as infant mortality rates in Sweden, Japan, Finland, Norway and the Czech Republic. For several years, the U.S. has ranked poorly among industrialized nations. MacDorman's report scrutinizes the reasons for that.

 

More here: U.S. Grapples with High Infant Mortality

 

Financial hurdlesparticularly for the uninsured and underinsuredcan lead to delayed or substandard care, and are an important reason why the United States lags behind most other developed countries in rates of maternal mortality and preterm births.

 

Another reason is that so many pregnancies in the United States, particularly among low-income women, are unintendedmaking Medicaid coverage of family planning services equally critical. Publicly funded contraceptive counseling and services empower low-income women to prevent pregnancies they dont want to have and become pregnant only when they want to be, thereby maximizing their chances of having a healthy pregnancy and giving birth to a healthy infant.

Medicaid Coverage for Births and Family Planning Services is Essential

 

That's not all.

 

Out of 20 "rich countries" measured by UNICEF, the U.S. ranks 19th in "child well-being." Out of 33 nations measured by the OECD, the U.S. ranks 27th for student math literacy and 22nd for student science literacy. In 2009, the World Economic Forum ranked 133 nations in terms of "soundness" of their banks, and the U.S. was ranked in 108th place, just behind Tanzania and just ahead of Venezuela.

 

Keep cheer-leading, patriot conservatives, while every other country kicks our [bleep]ing ass in every rubric. Oh, right, we're number 1 in the military and war. Go us. We can't have any taxes increased to improve our social services. That would impede on our freedom.

[All_Is_Great]

This does not surprise me, America isn't as good as people make it out to be. Although i did enjoy my years spent living in Minnesota.

[Hamtaro]

I agree with the title. We need free health care (like Canada). All emergency rooms should have 24 hour waits and all surgeries should have to be scheduled 6 months in advance. Also, I want to go to the doctor every time that I have a "tummy ache" or I stub my toe. :thumbup:

 

Obama had enough trouble running Cash for Clunkers, so what makes you think he will do a better job handling a massive government project like health care?

 

Also, isn't "family planning services" the most ironic name ever? I'd say so.

 

"Poor access to prenatal care, maternal obesity and smoking, too-early cesarean sections and induced labour and fertility treatments are among the reasons for preterm births, experts said."

I would argue that's due to the horrible public school system and the collapse of family values over the past 2-3 decades.

 

"...every other country kicks our [bleep]ing ass in every rubric."

High taxes, miserable people, more terrorist attacks, free everything for any bum too lazy to work (contrary to what you may believe, people DO abuse the welfare system more than it helps those in need [e.g. our [cabbage]ty union "workers" here in Michigan]), etc. I'm so jealous. I can see how tolerance may be a bit better in some European countries, but how many non-whites really live in Lithuania? Not very many I would bet, thus rendering any of those statistics redundant. So basically, nothing but public education. Clearly one thing is everything :rolleyes:.

 

On the note of personal responsibility, since I can't manage my own money, I want the government to do it for me.[/sarcasm] Sounds a bit like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck telling hardcore rights how to think, eh?

 

I don't know about the rest of the country, but in Michigan high school students, beginning with the graduating class of 2014, have to take a money management course (will be a joke, obviously, but may help some students). If you're really too stupid to manage your own money (wasting it on unnecessary things like iPhones, Macbooks, 42 inch plasma screen HD LCD TVs, Steelers tickets, etc), then why should you take other peoples' money (through the government)? I would support health care if it was limited to those who legitimately need it (better regulations, please). Unfortunately, the government wants to run our lives and force everyone to use that awful system.

 

Tl;dr: Free health care won't change anything, except probably decrease the average life expectancy (e.g. 24 hour ER wait, 6 month surgery wait in Canada). Everyone in front of you at the ER will just be a raging drunk or meth addict, and you'll have been in a car accident. We'll see how much you support that system when that happens. One last thing... since, according to you, every country is better than America in everything, I'm sure Africa would love to have you as a citizen! I hear they have the highest life expectancy of all continents.

[champion]

"Poor access to prenatal care, maternal obesity and smoking, too-early cesarean sections and induced labour and fertility treatments are among the reasons for preterm births, experts said."

I would argue that's due to the horrible public school system and the collapse of family values over the past 2-3 decades.

Fat moms, smoking, and C-sections due to public schools... what?

[sees_all1]

Keep cheer-leading, patriot conservatives, while every other country kicks our [bleep]ing ass in every rubric. Oh, right, we're number 1 in the military and war. Go us. We can't have any taxes increased to improve our social services. That would impede on our freedom.

How about next time, instead of quoting two op-eps and citing them as fact, you provide your own source-able facts and draw your own conclusion.

Did you know that the highest life-expectancy rate in the world is Japan, at 82.6 years? You know what we're at? 78.2.

 

I skimmed over the bull you posted, and you neglect to mention what the actual obesity rate in the US is - 30.6%. Guess what Japan's is? 3.2%.

If being miserable and eatting tofu nets me another 4.4 years, no way. I'd rather be happy for all my life than be miserable.

 

I seriously doubt its the health-care system when there's a big fat fact you so conveniently ignored.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

[Orpheus]

Oh look, it's this topic again.

 

Honestly though, If living 4.4 years longer means tofu, I'll just stick to living here.

[Alg]

You mean the same healthcare system we've had since '99? Was unaware we changed it. And the death of my grandmother a few weeks ago has me thinking that living into the 80s isn't as good as it would seem. Slow physical and mental degeneration over the course of a few years, leading to her rarely leaving her house and requiring daily aid in order to survive? Yay! And that's with medicare.

 

I will be amazed when you post something that isn't conservative-bashing.

[Range_This11]

This does not surprise me, America isn't as good as people make it out to be. Although i did enjoy my years spent living in Minnesota.

'Tis a great place.

[Skeptical]

OK:

 

I live (near) Windsor ON. Look it up: it has one of the worst health-care systems in our country. Long waits, shortage of doctors, etc.

 

Now, prompt care has been provided every time there has been a problem. Cancer, stroke, asthma, brain cyst, cuts, difficult births...

 

I've never waited more than an hour. Ever. I have no idea where that story comes from: has anyone here ever actually been to a Canadian hospital? And even if waits were longer (as I'm sure they are if your problem isn't at all urgent) is that much of a price for everyone having free health care? Do you have to worry that you'll bankrupt your family if you're ever sick? Rich, poor, black white: everyone gets treated when they're sick.

 

There is a reason Tommy Douglas is a national hero. Stop being so stuck up, stop believing the lies that the pharmaceutical and insurance corporations have told you. You are not automatically superior to everyone else in the world, no matter what your teachers and parents have said. Come see what we have: come watch people from Detroit come here to get health care, because no one in their own country cares enough about them to offer it.

[Guest Rob]

I've never waited more than an hour. Ever. I have no idea where that story comes from: has anyone here ever actually been to a Canadian hospital? And even if waits were longer (as I'm sure they are if your problem isn't at all urgent) is that much of a price for everyone having free health care? Do you have to worry that you'll bankrupt your family if you're ever sick? Rich, poor, black white: everyone gets treated when they're sick.

 

Agreed. I waited about 15 minutes when I severely injured my finger (though, it wasn't an emergency.) So, by waiting 15 minutes, it saved my family several thousand dollars. In the event of a life threatening emergency, there's no wait time at all. People seem to believe they care for the "Tummy achers" while someone covered with third degree burns and is unable to breathe, sits around waiting. If it's an emergency, they won't let you sit around and die. If it's not urgent, you might wait 20 minutes, but save god-knows-how-much.

[Lenticular_J]

I blame politics. And this incessant blame game. People are too worried about being wrong or at fault or seen as offensive to do anything. This childish finger-pointing makes nobody any better. It's just people saying "Hey I bet we could do better now that we have hindsight!" even though they won't, because they'll be worried about someone making a study of them and declaring them bad.

 

Went off on a tangent. These rankings are dumb. They have no effect on me. I'll live my life as well as I please - but I'll be aware of how I effect others. Advice folks might should take from. Now I'm talking about selfishness, I guess. But my professors never taught me how to debate and make myself superior. I just read a lot of Twain, boss, and lo' if I know any mo' den dat.

[Blake]

This does not surprise me, America isn't as good as people make it out to be. Although i did enjoy my years spent living in Minnesota.

 

I live in Minnesota, and I don't see how you can enjoy it :rolleyes: Idaho is better.

[obfuscator]

Lol at the people quoting Canadian healthcare.

 

24 hour wait at the emergency room? Yeah, if you go because you stubbed your toe.

That stomachache? Yeah, when it's actually a diseased appendix I bet you feel glad you can go to the doctor's without worrying about cost.

 

I'd be curious to see how much of this "decline" is due to a failure in the american system though, compared to improvements in other countries.

[Giordano]

I, for one, like Magekillrs conservative bashing. I wouldn't call it bashing either, for the most part it's true. :mrgreen:

 

I blame politics. And this incessant blame game. People are too worried about being wrong or at fault or seen as offensive to do anything. This childish finger-pointing makes nobody any better. It's just people saying "Hey I bet we could do better now that we have hindsight!" even though they won't, because they'll be worried about someone making a study of them and declaring them bad.

 

Went off on a tangent. These rankings are dumb. They have no effect on me. I'll live my life as well as I please - but I'll be aware of how I effect others. Advice folks might should take from. Now I'm talking about selfishness, I guess. But my professors never taught me how to debate and make myself superior. I just read a lot of Twain, boss, and lo' if I know any mo' den dat.

I am Giordano and I agree with this message.

[SeanyTheSailor]

I'm gonna say one thing in this, because I've gotten in arguments before and it never gets anywhere. Frivolous lawsuits. Why is healthcare so high? because if you get a scar you can only see under a magnifying glass you can sue everyone involved for a ridiculous sum of money. This is not to say doctors don't make mistakes, and in these cases they should be held accountable. My mom used to date a doctor. I think he was sued 3 times. 2 times he did nothing wrong the families just wanted money and sued for a ridiculous amount. The one other time he did make a mistake, he didn't do something when he probably should have. You know what the family sued him for? The cost of the medical expenses, no more. Wanna know why you pay so much, because they need the money for whenever some bonehead decides to sue an innocent hospital for 50 million dollars. Also speaking of this "government healthcare" I heard, and if you want you can find a source for this, you know who rejects the most people? Medicare. The government option. ( I kinda contradicted my 1 thing statement but either way, I'm out.)

[Giordano]

I'm gonna say one thing in this, because I've gotten in arguments before and it never gets anywhere. Frivolous lawsuits. Why is healthcare so high? because if you get a scar you can only see under a magnifying glass you can sue everyone involved for a ridiculous sum of money. This is not to say doctors don't make mistakes, and in these cases they should be held accountable. My mom used to date a doctor. I think he was sued 3 times. 2 times he did nothing wrong the families just wanted money and sued for a ridiculous amount. The one other time he did make a mistake, he didn't do something when he probably should have. You know what the family sued him for? The cost of the medical expenses, no more. Wanna know why you pay so much, because they need the money for whenever some bonehead decides to sue an innocent hospital for 50 million dollars. Also speaking of this "government healthcare" I heard, and if you want you can find a source for this, you know who rejects the most people? Medicare. The government option. ( I kinda contradicted my 1 thing statement but either way, I'm out.)

Yes, sueing is getting out of control in this country. The idea that we are a proud, honest, hard working nation has faded away.

 

I'm taking a Human Resource management class right now and a good chunk of that is about how not to get sued. It's ridiculous. Sometimes I wish a Common Sense Clause was added to the lawbooks.

[Dexek]

It's not a very big difference between the highest life expectancy average and that of the USA. What is interesting is some of the other rankings listed. I like how Canada is 49th in population growth projections. :thumbsup:

 

Carbon footprint is another interesting one, amongst other environmental rankings.

[Saru Inc]

"Poor access to prenatal care, maternal obesity and smoking, too-early cesarean sections and induced labour and fertility treatments are among the reasons for preterm births, experts said."

I would argue that's due to the horrible public school system and the collapse of family values over the past 2-3 decades.

Fat moms, smoking, and C-sections due to public schools... what?

 

 

YUP.

 

 

While I don't agree with Studio, even I saw the point he was trying to make...

 

 

I'm really not going to go over this topic again, this is more redundant than is God real, or homosexuality threads.

[Bloodstain]

As a Canadian it's nice knowing that any time I seriously injure myself, I don't need to worry about going bankrupt. And I'm proud to be taxed to keep our system running, it ain't perfect but it's better than the alternative. I hope one day you Americans can get it too, I've heard such terrible stories about medical care there.

 

Here's a site that has anecdotal stories from universal vs USA system, submitted by SA users

http://www.pluralofanecdote.com/#

[Saru Inc]

OK:

 

I live (near) Windsor ON. Look it up: it has one of the worst health-care systems in our country. Long waits, shortage of doctors, etc.

 

Now, prompt care has been provided every time there has been a problem. Cancer, stroke, asthma, brain cyst, cuts, difficult births...

 

I've never waited more than an hour. Ever. I have no idea where that story comes from: has anyone here ever actually been to a Canadian hospital? And even if waits were longer (as I'm sure they are if your problem isn't at all urgent) is that much of a price for everyone having free health care? Do you have to worry that you'll bankrupt your family if you're ever sick? Rich, poor, black white: everyone gets treated when they're sick.

 

There is a reason Tommy Douglas is a national hero. Stop being so stuck up, stop believing the lies that the pharmaceutical and insurance corporations have told you. You are not automatically superior to everyone else in the world, no matter what your teachers and parents have said. Come see what we have: come watch people from Detroit come here to get health care, because no one in their own country cares enough about them to offer it.

 

Ok. I am looking, show me.

 

As a Canadian it's nice knowing that any time I seriously injure myself, I don't need to worry about going bankrupt. And I'm proud to be taxed to keep our system running, it ain't perfect but it's better than the alternative. I hope one day you Americans can get it too, I've heard such terrible stories about medical care there.

 

Here's a site that has anecdotal stories from universal vs USA system, submitted by SA users

http://www.pluralofanecdote.com/#

 

 

SA? Something Awful? Because when I think factually correct, I think Something Awful.

[Bloodstain]

 

 

As a Canadian it's nice knowing that any time I seriously injure myself, I don't need to worry about going bankrupt. And I'm proud to be taxed to keep our system running, it ain't perfect but it's better than the alternative. I hope one day you Americans can get it too, I've heard such terrible stories about medical care there.

 

Here's a site that has anecdotal stories from universal vs USA system, submitted by SA users

http://www.pluralofanecdote.com/#

 

 

SA? Something Awful? Because when I think factually correct, I think Something Awful.

 

Maybe you will notice the website name. Plural of Anecdote. Anecdote. I never mentioned fact. There was a thread dozens of pages long about the exact same thing (it is now archived), which is where the stories came from. There was and is no incentive for people to waste their time lying about it.

 

Also, to put another kind of myth to rest, I and 90% of the people I know put going to the doctor off unless we absolutely need to.

[Saru Inc]

So why post it, if it's not fact. I mean.... What's going on there.

[Bloodstain]

So why post it, if it's not fact. I mean.... What's going on there.

 

Because it's interesting to read people's experiences, and not numbers all the time. It tells things like wait time too. Also, do you dispute that universal health care patients pay nothing or next to nothing on the spot for care while Americans who are uninsured (and insured as well) must pay hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars? IF they even seek care? Because that is basically what that website is saying.

 

Here's some facts I guess

 

 

[Alg]

Counting amount paid in taxes?

[Bloodstain]

Looks like it