-
Free Market Fundamentalism Is Killing Us
By many tangible measures, the U.S. health care system isn't much to brag about. For example, the World Health Organization reported that in 2000 the U.S. ranked 24th in the world in "healthy life expectancy."
"Basically, you die earlier and spend more time disabled if you’re an American rather than a member of most other advanced countries," said Christopher Murray (M.D., Ph.D.), Director of WHO's Global Programme on Evidence for Health Policy.
In life expectancy, infant mortality, and number of practicing physicians per capita, the U.S. long has ranked near the bottom among the 30 or so wealthiest industrialized nations. And this is in spite of the fact that we spend nearly twice as much per capita on health care as nations that get much better results than we do. We don't even have as many hospital beds per capita as most other industrialized nations.
But worry no more, children. I learned yesterday that "US Health Care Saves More Lives Than Socialized Medicine"! Keep reading to learn more!
Stay up to date with the latest AlterNet headlines via email
On JFK's 95th Birthday, Stephen King -- Like Many Writers Before -- Has a Theory About Kennedy's Assassination
