"U.S. Losing Ground on Preventable Deaths" No shit Sherlock!

[Are_grits_groceries]

Despite High Medical Spending, Results Trail Other Wealthy Countries

As Congress presses forward with landmark legislation to revamp the nation's health-care system, lawmakers are grappling with a troubling question:
Are Americans dying too soon? The answer is yes. When it comes to "preventable deaths" -- an array of illnesses and injuries that should not kill at an early age -- the United States trails other industrialized nations and has been falling further behind over the past decade.
<snip>
During last week's marathon health-care debate in the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) bemoaned the findings.

"All of these countries have much lower costs than we do," he said, pointing to a giant blue chart showing the United States in last place. "And they have higher quality outcomes than ours."

Some lawmakers theorized that the rate could be related to trauma from guns and automobiles.
<snip>
"Chronic illnesses are a much bigger driver of health-care costs" than trauma cases such as vehicle crashes and gunshots, said Robert Shesser, head of emergency medicine at George Washington University. "Because of our wacky system, some people are bankrupted or avoiding care and some are getting too much care -- they're hogging care."
<snip>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/05/AR2009100503798_2.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2009100503801

Mon Dieu! How can this be?? Such a surprise!

Idiots. Reading the paper every day would give them a clue. Conrad plays his part well. In addition, the co-ops he so breathlessly talks about as the best system are run with certain safeguards. You can bet anything he proposes will be geared towards the insurance companies.

[krispos42]

1. "Keep digging, Watson"

:-)