We are seriously lacking in the industrial world in terms of health.
On average we live shorter lives, we less healthy, we are more likely to die before the age of five, more likely to die between the ages of 15 and 60, we spend more per person and GDP on health care. Yet we have nearly 50 million uninsured Americans, nearly 20,000 of us will die each year due to lack of care, over half of our bankruptcies are filed due to medical bills and over half of those have insurance.
Our leaders in government and the business community do not want to talk about single-payer programs as an option and denounce it as if it were a plague.
A recent poll in Canada found 80% support for their national healthcare plan.
We cannot keep tolerating this racket called private insurance. We need a national health care plan. Health care should be made a public service like our police and fire department. It would be cheaper, it would cover everyone and it would make us healthier. The quality of our health should not be reduced to a commodity where one only has a "right" to it if they can afford it.
Here are some fundamental statistics compiled on the World Health Organization website: http://www.who.int/countries/en/
USA:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 75/80
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 67/71
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 8
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 137/80
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 6,714
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 15.3
UK:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 77/81
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 69/72
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 6
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 98/61
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 2,784
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 8.4
Switzerland:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 79/84
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 71/75
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 5
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 80/47
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 4,312
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 11.3
Sweden:
Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 79/83
Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 72/75
Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 4
Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 78/49
Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 3,119
Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 8.9
Norway:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 78/83
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 70/74
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 4
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 86/53
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 4,521
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 8.7
Japan:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 79/86
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 72/78
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 4
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 89/44
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 2,514
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 7.9
Iceland:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 79/83
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 72/74
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 3
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 68/49
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 3,319
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 9.3
Finland:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 76/83
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 69/74
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 3
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 132/57
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 2,472
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 7.6
France:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 77/84
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 69/75
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 5
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 124/57
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 3,554
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 11.1
Denmark:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 76/81
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 69/71
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 4
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 111/65
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 3,349
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 9.5
Canada:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 78/83
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 70/74
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 6
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 89/55
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 3,672
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 10.0
Cuba:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 76/80
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 67/70
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 7
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 127/82
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 363
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 7.1
Australia:
- Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 79/84
- Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 71/74
- Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 6
- Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 82/47
- Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 3,122
- Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 8.7
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