US last in preventable deaths

Upton · #1 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 11:05 AM

That's right the US ranks dead last. Something else the US for profit health care system can be proud of. Excuses sure to follow.

Quote:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - France, Japan and Australia rated best and the United States worst in new rankings focusing on preventable deaths due to treatable conditions in 19 leading industrialized nations, researchers said on Tuesday.

If the U.S. health care system performed as well as those of those top three countries, there would be 101,000 fewer deaths in the United States per year, according to researchers writing in the journal Health Affairs.

Researchers Ellen Nolte and Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine tracked deaths that they deemed could have been prevented by access to timely and effective health care, and ranked nations on how they did.

They called such deaths an important way to gauge the performance of a country's health care system.

Nolte said the large number of Americans who lack any type of health insurance -- about 47 million people in a country of about 300 million, according to U.S. government estimates -- probably was a key factor in the poor showing of the United States compared to other industrialized nations in the study.

"I wouldn't say it (the last-place ranking) is a condemnation, because I think health care in the U.S. is pretty good if you have access. But if you don't, I think that's the main problem, isn't it?" Nolte said in a telephone interview.

In establishing their rankings, the researchers considered deaths before age 75 from numerous causes, including heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, diabetes, certain bacterial infections and complications of common surgical procedures.

Such deaths accounted for 23 percent of overall deaths in men and 32 percent of deaths in women, the researchers said.

France did best -- with 64.8 deaths deemed preventable by timely and effective health care per 100,000 people, in the study period of 2002 and 2003. Japan had 71.2 and Australia had 71.3 such deaths per 100,000 people. The United States had 109.7 such deaths per 100,000 people, the researchers said

After the top three, Spain was fourth best, followed in order by Italy, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, Austria, Germany, Finland, New Zealand, Denmark, Britain, Ireland and Portugal, with the United States last.

Look at all those countries with universal health care ranked near the top. What were we again? Oh yeah, 19th out of 19.
France best, U.S. worst in preventable death ranking | U.S. | Reuters

cat's meow · #2 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 11:31 AM

Thanks, I was just about ot post this. And the systems in those country operate how? Oh, those damn socialists/communists....

crowonapost · #3 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cat's meow

Thanks, I was just about ot post this. And the systems in those country operate how? Oh, those damn socialists/communists....

That's funny I just read that last night & was thinking of posting it as well.

Devil in the details. For those who can pay our system is great. Those that are not....

Loser!

hah ha cabitalisdom is da shits fucking communists. Democrats must die. haha

Check out my morality huh pretty cool....?

yup all cool till you lose your job have no insurance & can only look through fading eyes.

This rationalization for selfishness is just appalling sometimes.

Wee let me wave my made in China Lead laden plastic flag.

satv365 · #4 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 01:03 PM

I still do not feel the need to pay for other people's healthcare, when it is the Government's fault it costs so damned much to begin with.

Semantics · #5 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crowonapost

That's funny I just read that last night & was thinking of posting it as well.

Devil in the details. For those who can pay our system is great. Those that are not....

Loser!

hah ha cabitalisdom is da shits fucking communists. Democrats must die. haha

Check out my morality huh pretty cool....?

yup all cool till you lose your job have no insurance & can only look through fading eyes.

This rationalization for selfishness is just appalling sometimes.

Wee let me wave my made in China Lead laden plastic flag.

Which is ironic when one looks at the GOP's base. Nothing like cutting off your nose to spite your face. :lol

wvpeach · #6 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 01:19 PM

Add another sin to the long list of this so called Christian nation.

Its a shameful thing we let people die in the US for lack of care .

Teak · #7 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 01:21 PM

Yep, this country is so screwed up. Health care - sucks. Economy - sucks. Race relations - suck. Job availability - sucks. The waiting list, to enter, legally: 10+ yrs - sucks. The waiting list to leave - NONE.

Semantics · #8 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teak

Yep, this country is so screwed up. Health care - sucks. Economy - sucks. Race relations - suck. Job availability - sucks. The waiting list, to enter, legally: 10+ yrs - sucks. The waiting list to leave - NONE.

That's a bit dramatic, isn't it?

Just because things are good, it doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. Discussion of these issues is how solutions are found.

All of those things you mentioned could be better. Just because there is a waiting list to enter doesn't mean we shouldn't care about the issues.

Are you saying we should stop opposing racism because it's better here than in some other countries?

Stop trying to improve the economy because it's already better here than it is in other countries?

Teak · #9 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Semantics

That's a bit dramatic, isn't it?

Just because things are good, it doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. Discussion of these issues is how solutions are found.

All of those things you mentioned could be better. Just because there is a waiting list to enter doesn't mean we shouldn't care about the issues.

Are you saying we should stop opposing racism because it's better here than in some other countries?

Stop trying to improve the economy because it's already better here than it is in other countries?

Not dramatic enough. All you folks are doing is rehashing the problems. Where are your solutions. Thats what you should be discussing.

satv365 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teak

Not dramatic enough. All you folks are doing is rehashing the problems. Where are your solutions. Thats what you should be discussing.

There answer, ( the one they refuse to admit ) is raising taxes to pay for all these services they want. I am all for Free Healthcare, if you do not raise, Income or Property Taxes.

So accomplish this and I could get behind socialized Healthcare.