The Sept. 23 front-page article “For French, U.S. Health Debate Hard to Imagine” cited the longer life expectancy of the French compared with Americans as an indicator of superior health-care quality. Broad population metrics, such as life expectancy, are affected by behavior. Our lower life expectancy is not attributable to poor U.S. health care. It stems from the higher U.S. rate of homicides and the death rate from transportation accidents. In their book “The Business of Health,” Robert Ohsfeldt and John Schneider explain that the U.S. homicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 population is eight times the rate in France. The U.S. death rate from transportation accidents is also higher than in other countries. When life expectancy data are adjusted for differences in homicide and transportation death rates, U.S. life expectancy is slightly higher than for all other countries.
|
... keeping the U.S. from having the world's highest life expectancy.
One is owned by the Democrats. The Democrats own the inner cities and their violence. They have ruled the them almost uninterrupted for over 40 years. Like their pet method abortion, high homicide rates keeps down the population of the slaves on their plantation.
The other is a product of geography and the politics of public goods. More driving miles means more deaths statistically, a product of both geography and affluence. But if the roads were privatized, liability would likely lead to more stringent standards for driver's licenses and safeguards against drunk driving.
Posts
