U.S. leads industrialized nations in preventable deaths

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U.S. leads industrialized nations in preventable deaths

Somewhere, Michael Moore is planning a sequel.
The U.S. leads the industrialized world in "preventable deaths," according to a new study.
The country might have been spared an estimated 101,000 deaths a year if preventable deaths -- infections, surgical complications, treatable cancers and more -- had matched the rates of the top-ranked countries.
Things are improving. But they're improving faster in other countries. And the news comes in a presidential election year where health care is among the hottest of issues.

Ben likes: U.S. health care and productivity -- better than you think

John R. Graham/Pacific Research Institute

American crusaders for “universal” health care — as opposed to universal choice in means of health care — emphasize America’s uniqueness in lacking this characteristic of the modern welfare state. Given the evidence of America’s productivity, perhaps it is a uniqueness we should not rush to abandon.

Joel likes: U.S. Lags Industrialized Nations In Preventable Deaths

The Gate

While the Democrats have spent much time and energy proposing sweeping reforms to increase access for the 47 million uninsured Americans, the Republicans have been warning that a move to "socialized medicine" -- which is how they characterize the government-run systems of most other industrialized nations -- would compromise the quality of care.
"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," said one of the study's authors. "But if you don't, I think that's the main problem, isn't it?"