Socialized Health Care in the USA

[kandrathe]

Read that sentence over a couple times. Are you seriously claiming that there is no correlation between the two most obvious health care outcomes and the quality of health care? Because that would be crazy.

Right crazy. Is it incongruous to understand the relationship between life style and health? What are factors in life expectancy? Genetics, life style, health care, environment, etc. So, like education, pumping more money into health care will not automatically drive up life expectancy. A better idea would be a leadership of a national healthy easting and exercise program.

I highly doubt that US doctors attempt to save so many more preterm babies than their Canadian, Australian, New Zealander or European counterparts that it doubled your infant mortality rate.

"In 2005, more than 68 percent of infant deaths occurred among preterm infants, up from more than 65 percent in 2000. In November, the March of Dimes released its first annual "Premature Birth Report Card," giving the nation an overall "D" grade and noting that preterm birth — birth before 37 weeks of gestation — is the top cause of death in an infant’s first month of life." -- March of Dimes

As for immigration, I'm sure that plays a role, but as part of a larger picture: you have very high inequality for a developed country, and no public health care! So, the worst off get worse nutrition, have poorer health care, and their babies are therefore at greater risk when they're preterm. Critically, *this is a problem that public health care fixes.*

You've nailed the description of the problem, neonatal health and other environmental factors that result in a much higher rate of preterm births and low birth weights. The US system is also fractured by State. Some states have very low taxes and very low levels of service. The answer to helping the poor is not Universal Health Care for the rich, and middle class. Although, since the one program designed for the poor, Medicaid, is an abysmal failure, any change would probably be better for them. Why not fix the system that is broken?

Follow the argument. This is about comparing the US to other OECD countries which have experienced the same automation, the same "shipping away" of strenuous labour, and mostly the same move to a sedentary culture. This isn't just bicycle-loving Holland. This is Britain, Canada, Australia, countries every bit as fat 'n lazy as the US.

But, look at the rates of heart disease, diabetes, and other "sedentary" illness.

How then do you explain that single-payer Europe has far more doctors per capita than the market USA? There isn't a shortage there.

Canada's doctor shortage to worsen without changes: Fraser report

Economists long ago figured out the secret of ending a worker shortage: more carrots. If you're not giving enough incentive to work, you get less workers. This is true in any system, capitalist or socialist.

Yes, motivation to press the food bar.