Although the price of prescription drugs puts them out of reach of millions of Americans, the per capita expenditure on prescriptions is, ironically, higher than practically all other developed countries.
Between 2010 and 2015, Medicare costs per enrollee have increased by only 1.1% per year on average while overall health care inflation has increased by 4% per year on average.
The healthcare sector of the economy devotes more than any other sector except “finance, insurance, & real estate” to lobbying congress – four times more than the defense sector.
Aging prisoners have been the fastest growing demographic in the vast U.S. prison system. Human Rights Watch estimates that the age 65 or older inmate population grew an astonishing 94 times faster than the total sentenced prisoner population between 2007 and 2010. The older prison population increased by 63 percent, while the total prison population grew by 0.7 percent during the same period.
The life expectancy of white U.S. citizens without a high school education has declined. This is the first time in U.S. history that any demographic group has had a life expectancy decrease.
The infant mortality rate in the United States is approximately 6 per thousand live births, which is twice as high as practically all European countries. The African American infant mortality rate is 11.37 per thousand births; the “white” infant mortality rate is 4.81 per thousand live births.
The most expensive hospital stays are for patients less than age 5 and patients between the ages of 65 and 70. Patients over the age of 85 have one of the lowest cost average hospital stay.
Source: Kingsley, D. (2015), “Aging & Health Care Costs: Myths & Realities.” Poverty & Public Policy.
A group of influential bioethicists are recommending that healthcare be rationed to the elderly. This would result in the withholding of medical services for elderly patients even if it could be beneficial and reduce suffering.
Source: A large body of literature urging cost savings by reducing care for the elderly, e.g. Daniels, N. (2013), “Global Aging and the Allocation of Health Care Across the Life Span.” American Journal of Bioethics; Emanuel, Z. “Why I Hope to Die at 75.”
Did You Know?
Although the price of prescription drugs puts them out of reach of millions of Americans, the per capita expenditure on prescriptions is, ironically, higher than practically all other developed countries.
African American men have the highest rate of cancer in the U.S.
Source: U.S. Center for Disease Control
Costs per enrollee have increased by only 1.1% per year while overall health care inflation has increased by 4%
Source: Medicare Trustees’ Reports (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015); Bureau of Labor Statistics http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUUR0000SAM?output_view=pct_12mths
The healthcare sector of the economy devotes four times more to lobbying than the defense sector
Source:
https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/lobby00/sectors.php
Aging prisoners have been the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. prison system
Source:
https://www.hrw.org/report/2012/01/27/old-behind-bars/aging-prison-population-united-states
Life expectancy of uneducated white U.S. citizens has declined
Source:
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/montez-cutler-berkman-life-expectancy-least-educated-whites/
The infant mortality rate in the United States is twice as high as practically all European countries.
Source:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/infant-health.htm
The most expensive hospital stays are for patients less than age 5 and between 65 and 70
Source: Kingsley, D. (2015), “Aging & Health Care Costs: Myths & Realities.” Poverty & Public Policy.
Influential bioethicists recommending healthcare be rationed to the elderly
Source: A large body of literature urging cost savings by reducing care for the elderly, e.g. Daniels, N. (2013), “Global Aging and the Allocation of Health Care Across the Life Span.” American Journal of Bioethics; Emanuel, Z. “Why I Hope to Die at 75.”