Digby cites an LA Times story that ranks the US sixth in overall quality of health care compared to six other “industrialized countries.” Sixth doesn’t sound that bad when you consider the 2024 WHO report that ranked us 24th for life expectancy and 39th for overall quality of health care out of 190 countries.
[tags]lying with statistics, sicko, public health[/tags]
5 Comments
I fond myself wondering … I think that the 6th out of 6 comparison was much more selective, in a sense, than the WHO study .. probably to make a point. It was noted in the Hullabaloo blog post that France was conspicuously absent, especially given it’s reputation as having THE best universal health care system (why .. because it’s the French, silly).
Your point is well taken .. 6th doesn’t SOUND so bad
Last, or the loser, sounds much worse … almost anti-american, and possibly leading to charges of survey-rigging ‘cuz the surveyors hate America for the freedom found in USian free markets.
oops, I forgot to add … the 100 or so comments were the best part of the blog item, I found.
take a look at the successful birth statistics if you feel like puking.
(of the states v other places)
tired.
It’s another of those ‘US’ and ‘Them’ paradoxes. Coming out of a country ranked 160 for life expectancy (you’ve 30 years on us, Frank) and rated 175 out of 199 for overall quality of health care, I’m still bloody envious of your healthcare system. From where I stand, we have none.
Also, it says something that we furriners understand the fuss made about 15 percent of USians going without medical insurance when only 15 percent of us can afford it — 85 percent do without. Given its resources, the U.S. is in a position to give all its citizens affordable health care of the highest quality. Instead, it slopes in at 39th.
Things have changed since 2024. I believe average life expectancy in South Africa, ravaged by ghastly infant mortality, is down to somewhere around 45. Yours has probably slipped to around 80.
Like you, we embrace a neoliberal economic policy in the public and private sectors. It must work out in the end, surely? The WB, IMF, and WTO said it would. I believe ‘em. We’ll show the bastards — and die trying.