Link: Gap in Life Expectancy Widens for the Nation - New York Times excerpt:
In 1980-82, Dr. Singh said, people in the most affluent group could expect to live 2.8 years longer than people in the most deprived group (75.8 versus 73 years). By 1998-2000, the difference in life expectancy had increased to 4.5 years (79.2 versus 74.7 years), and it continues to grow, he said.
After 20 years, the lowest socioeconomic group lagged further behind the most affluent, Dr. Singh said, noting that “life expectancy was higher for the most affluent in 1980 than for the most deprived group in 2000.”
“If you look at the extremes in 2000,” Dr. Singh said, “men in the most deprived counties had 10 years’ shorter life expectancy than women in the most affluent counties (71.5 years versus 81.3 years).” The difference between poor black men and affluent white women was more than 14 years (66.9 years vs. 81.1 years). ...
Peter R. Orszag, director of the Congressional Budget Office, said: “We have heard a lot about growing income inequality. There has been much less attention paid to growing inequality in life expectancy, which is really quite dramatic.”
The final 3 paragraphs:
Under federal law, officials must publish an annual report tracking health disparities. In the fifth annual report, issued this month, the Bush administration said, “Over all, disparities in quality and access for minority groups and poor populations have not been reduced” since the first report, in 2003.
The rate of new AIDS cases is still 10 times as high among blacks as among whites, it said, and the proportion of black children hospitalized for asthma is almost four times the rate for white children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last month that heart attack survivors with higher levels of education and income were much more likely to receive cardiac rehabilitation care, which lowers the risk of future heart problems. Likewise, it said, the odds of receiving tests for colon cancer increase with a person’s education and income.
What we measure, we can watch and do something about. At least we're measuring the health disparities and talking about them.
Think about the stresses that a low-income person in this country experiences day to day. How could their health be otherwise? Ditto most of the rest of those below the 70th or so percentile. No amount of health insurance or health care spending can make up for this.
We have to start to figure out why life is so difficult for so many. Some of the reasons may be completely intractable -- endemic to being human. Others may be very susceptible to correction, though not necessarily through programs or spending. Grant us the wisdom to know the difference, and the respect and affection for our fellow human beings to act on that knowledge.
-- and the courage to stand up to those whose free lunches, windfalls and privileges might be at risk here. As HG put it, He who sees the truth, let him proclaim it, without asking who is for it or who is against it. This is not radicalism in the bad sense which so many attach to the word. This is conservatism in the true sense.
To me, Land Value Taxation is the reform which stands the best chance of removing some of the most serious obstacles to this society and this economy being a place where all of us can live long and prosper.
Comments