Quote:
Originally Posted by golfing eagles
Beware of the basis for the claim other countries have a longer life expectancy. One of the most influential criteria that goes into life expectancy is infant mortality. The US has a higher infant mortality rate than these other countries because we count EVERY live birth, even a 22 week premie that takes one breath and dies. These other countries only count births after 34 weeks, hence the difference in life expectancy.
Also consider that if health care was so wonderful in the National Health Insurance nations, why do royalty, political leaders and billionaires flock to NY or Boston when they have a serious problem, instead of Luxembourg
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Thank you. I accept your 1st paragraph as being correct and informative. I do not know all the details of that to be able to disagree. So it seems correct to me. You could have also have made the case that the US allows more immigration (both legal and illegal) than countries like Switzerland and many other European and Asian countries - so statistics get skewed. Like height, for example, the US average height and longevity has decreased recently due to immigration and even the US drug overdose problem.
As to the 2nd paragraph. It is true, but they come here to the US because we have the BEST health outcomes for the upper 1%. It is for the lower 90% that depend on insurance from employment, that the problem of lower health outcomes is in play. Because of not having Universal Health Care the AVERAGE US citizen is worse off "quality of life"-wise than say the average citizen of the UK, or Australia or pick most ANY 1st world country. WE, the US of A are the outlier of world countries. We are the only one dependant on Employer Insurance for health care. The insurance companies of America are the metaphorical VAMPIRE SQUID with its tentacles around the necks of the Average American - sucking the health-blood away!