America's Tragically Dysfunctional Healthcare System

[Bob Unferth]

America has a tragically dysfunctional healthcare system. For starters, it is the MOST EXPENSIVE in the world, annually spending $6,933 per capita compared to $2,981 in other developed countries - more than a Trillion dollars extra; the entire budget deficit each and every year.

BUT, cost is the least important of the dysfunctions. That our life expectancy is one to four years less than in other developed countries grossly understates the FAILURE TO KEEP OURSELVES ALIVE. Our low life expectancy is because our babies and young people die more often than those in other developed countries. Our old people do die more often, but only by a little.

The most terrifying (but not the largest) difference in the rate of dying is the infant mortality rate. For every thousand births in the US, SIX BABIES DIE. TWO of these babies would not have died if their mother lived in some other developed country.

And the higher death rate for infants continues through childhood:

One year olds die at a 22% higher rate in the US
Two year olds die 31% more often
Three year olds 25% more often
Four year olds 27% more often
Five year olds 32% more often
Six year olds 31% more often
Seven year olds 32% more often
Eight year olds 27% more often

It gets even worse with teenagers and young adults:

15 year old teenagers die at an incredible 51% higher rate in the US
25 year old young adults die 42% more often in the US
35 year old Americans die 37% more often

By age 83, after Medicare for 18 years, Americans actually do better than those in other developed countries.

The reason the US has such low life expectancy is because our babies and young people die more often than babies and young people in other developed countries. We all should most earnestly hope that Obamacare gives to mothers to be, children and young adults something like Medicare.