Monday, September 19, 2016

American Life Expectancy

There is a push for more control over the allocation of heath dollars. There are a number of reaons. Uwe Reinholdt, the economist behind the failed Hillary health plan, wanted--and still wants--the health care expenditure to be 10% of gross national product. It is currently over 17%. Another quite compelling argument stems from the American life expectancy. When placed beside the health costs, nation to nation, it is compelling. The U.S. is 19th in life expectancy when compared to other countries--all having costs less than 11% GDP.
There are arguments here, of course. Many countries do not include deaths of babies less than one year old in their stats while the U.S. does. But another question should come to mind as well: Death from non medical causes.  Robert Ohsfeldt of Texas A&M and John Schneider of the University of Iowa asked: what happens if you remove deaths from fatal injuries from the life expectancy tables? Among the 29 members of the OECD, the U.S. vaults from 19th place to first in life expectancy. Japan, on the same adjustment, drops from first to ninth.

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