Saturday, March 23, 2019

Here's to a long life ....


We spend more; how come we don't live as long?

The U.S. has the 4th highest infant mortality rate among 35 OECD countries, the 6th highest maternal mortality rate and the 9th highest likelihood of dying at a younger age from a host of ailments, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
The U.S. is the most obese country in the OECD, leads in drug-related deaths and ranks 1st in prevalence of diabetes.

Health Care Costs for OECD Countries
Rank
Country
Per-capita spending on health care ($)
Health care spending as a share of GDP (%)
Government spending on health care (%)
Compulsory/contributory insurance & medical savings accounts (%)
Out-of-pocket costs (%)
Voluntary health insurance (%)
Per-capita spending on pharmaceuticals* ($)
1
United States
9,892
17.2
26.6
22.8
11.1
39.6
1,162.4
2
Switzerland
7,919
12.4
22.3
41.7
28.7
7.6
1,056.1
3
Luxembourg
7,463
6.3
9.1
72.9
10.2
6.8
586.4
4
Norway
6,647
10.5
74.4
10.8
14.5
0.3
501.2
5
Germany
5,551
11.3
6.6
77.9
12.4
3.1
766.0
6
Ireland
5,528
7.8
69.7
0.3
15.2
14.8
684.3
7
Sweden
5,488
11.0
83.7
0.0
14.9
1.2
518.8
8
Netherlands
5,385
10.5
9.4
71.4
12.2
7.0
432.1
9
Austria
5,227
10.4
30.8
44.8
17.9
6.5
632.7
10
Denmark
5,199
10.4
84.1
0.0
13.7
2.1
341.8
11
Belgium
4,840
10.4
18.3
59.2
17.6
5.0
679.0
12
Australia
4,708
9.6
67.4
0.0
19.6
13.1
617.0
13
Canada
4,644
10.3
68.5
1.4
14.8
15.3
785.8
14
France
4,600
11.0
4.0
75.0
6.8
14.3
667.6
15
Japan
4,519
10.9
8.7
75.4
13.1
2.9
802.7
16
Iceland
4,376
8.6
52.6
29.5
16.3
1.6
497.8
17
United Kingdom
4,192
9.7
79.5
0.1
14.8
5.5
497.4
18
Finland
4,062
9.4
61.1
13.3
19.9
5.7
501.0
19
New Zealand
3,590
9.2
72.0
7.8
12.6
7.6
NA
20
Italy
3,391
8.9
74.7
0.3
22.7
2.3
604.7
21
Spain
3,248
9.0
66.3
4.7
24.2
4.7
572.3
22
Slovenia
2,835
8.6
3.1
68.7
12.5
15.7
500.6
23
Israel
2,776
7.3
16.9
46.4
24.4
13.3
313.2
24
Portugal
2,734
8.9
65.0
1.2
27.4
6.4
412.9
25
South Korea
2,729
7.7
10.0
46.4
36.7
6.9
552.2
26
Czech Republic
2,515
7.2
12.2
71.3
13.7
2.8
421.7
27
Greece
2,187
8.2
30.3
28.8
35.5
3.9
571.9
28
Slovakia
2,150
6.9
4.3
75.4
18.4
1.8
553.3
29
Hungary
2,101
7.6
11.1
55.6
29.0
4.2
558.9
30
Estonia
1,989
6.7
11.2
64.9
22.4
1.5
343.5
31
Chile
1,977
8.5
2.2
58.6
32.4
6.9
NA
32
Poland
1,798
6.4
9.2
60.7
23.4
7.6
357.2
33
Latvia
1,466
5.7
57.5
0.0
41.6
0.9
383.9
34
Turkey
1,088
4.3
21.9
56.3
16.9
4.9
NA
35
Mexico
1,080
5.8
23.8
28.4
41.4
6.5
286.8

Health Care Conditions for OECD Countries

Rank
Country
Life expectancy at birth (years)
Infant mortality per 1,000 live births
Maternal mortality per 100,000 live births
Probability of dying prematurely from noncommunicative disease (%)**
Drug-related deaths per million population, ages 15-64
Suicides per 100,000 population
Obesity as % of population ages 15 and over
Prevalence of diabetes in population ages 20 to 79 (%)
1
United States
78.8
5.8
14.0
13.6
245.8
12.6
38.2
10.8
2
Switzerland
83.0
3.9
5.0
8.7
24.2
10.7
10.3
6.1
3
Luxembourg
82.4
2.8
10.0
9.7
20.7
8.5
22.6
4.7
4
Norway
82.4
2.3
5.0
9.6
78.4
9.3
12.0
6.0
5
Germany
80.7
3.3
6.0
12.0
19.3
9.1
23.6
7.4
6
Ireland
81.5
3.4
8.0
10.3
70.8
11.1
23.0
4.4
7
Sweden
82.3
2.5
4.0
9.1
124.5
12.7
12.3
4.7
8
Netherlands
81.6
3.3
7.0
11.0
11.1
9.4
12.8
5.5
9
Austria
81.3
3.1
4.0
11.2
27.1
11.7
14.7
6.9
10
Denmark
80.8
3.7
6.0
11.6
72.3
9.1
14.9
7.2
11
Belgium
81.1
3.3
7.0
11.6
9.9
16.1
18.6
5.1
12
Australia
82.5
3.2
6.0
8.9
116.2
10.4
27.9
5.1
13
Canada
81.7
4.8
7.0
9.8
104.5
10.4
25.8
7.4
14
France
82.4
3.8
8.0
10.9
3.6
12.3
15.3
5.3
15
Japan
83.9
2.1
5.0
8.8
NA
15.4
3.7
5.7
16
Iceland
82.5
2.2
3.0
8.3
221.2
11.8
19.0
6.1
17
United Kingdom
81.0
3.9
9.0
11.0
66.7
7.4
26.9
4.7
18
Finland
81.6
1.7
3.0
10.1
77.8
14.2
24.8
6.0
19
New Zealand
81.7
5.0
11.0
10.4
26.7
12.3
30.7
7.3
20
Italy
82.6
2.9
4.0
9.4
8.0
5.4
9.8
5.1
21
Spain
83.0
2.7
5.0
10.0
36.6
6.0
16.7
7.7
22
Slovenia
80.9
1.6
9.0
13.2
20.0
15.0
19.2
7.8
23
Israel
82.1
3.1
5.0
9.5
11.9
5.4
17.8
7.5
24
Portugal
81.2
2.9
10.0
11.3
5.4
8.5
16.6
9.9
25
South Korea
82.1
2.7
11.0
8.3
0.1
24.1
5.3
7.2
26
Czech Republic
78.7
2.5
4.0
15.6
4.9
10.6
21.0
7.4
27
Greece
81.1
4.0
3.0
12.3
3.7
3.2
17.0
5.2
28
Slovakia
76.7
5.1
6.0
17.6
12.5
9.9
16.3
7.8
29
Hungary
75.7
4.2
17.0
22.9
3.8
15.7
30.0
7.3
30
Estonia
77.7
2.5
9.0
17.2
102.9
14.9
18.0
4.4
31
Chile
79.1
7.2
22.0
11.5
NA
9.1
25.1
10.0
32
Poland
77.6
4.0
3.0
18.4
10.3
18.5
16.7
6.2
33
Latvia
74.6
4.1
18.0
22.9
13.9
17.4
21.3
5.4
34
Turkey
78.0
10.7
16.0
16.8
9.6
8.6
22.3
12.8
35
Mexico
75.0
12.5
38.0
15.2
4.5
5.0
32.4
15.8
Notes: *Included in per capita spending on health care
**Includes cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease
Methodology: Bloomberg ranked the OECD countries by total expenditure on health, which is the amount each country spends for both individual and collective services. Dollar figures for per capita spending use current prices and current purchasing power parities. (PPPs are the rates of currency conversion that eliminate the differences in price levels between countries.) Expenditure data include personal health care services and expenses, medical goods dispensed to outpatients; prevention and public health services; health administration and health insurance. Spending figures for 2016 are estimated or provisional. Data for related factors are for 2015 or the latest data available.
Infant mortality refers to the number of deaths of infants under one year old. Compulsory/contributory health plans include social health insurance, compulsory private insurance and compulsory medical savings accounts.
Source: OECD, The World Bank, World Health Organization, International Diabetes Federation and Diabetes Atlas


Published by a really old guy -

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Journalists

I'm disappointed sometimes by the public discourse. The media handles politics like they do sports, playing the high points like a super bowl narrative. That's not journalism, of course.

Journalism, unlike most of our media sources, is objective, thorough, and fact-based. Opinions are rare and honestly admitted, interpretations are rare. These days, journalism itself is rare. Did you know that the U.S. ranks 45th for journalistic freedom. That's pretty far down the list.

Sources with journalistic integrity are perhaps rare. Reuters, the Associated Press, the Washington Post, perhaps ... others? Are there any whose agenda isn't driven by ratings and income? What should be our response?
Published by a really old guy -

Friday, February 1, 2019

Tantrum Tactics

Fractured!
The political divisiveness we see today is much like what happens among children when one thoughtlessly blames their sibling for absolutely everything that's wrong in life. It's tantrum tactics, the need for an enemy to oppose and blame until you get what you want.

Wise parents will demonstrate for their children how to think clearly and interact reasonably, they insist on truth, and they lead by example. Irrational and unreasoned turmoil are the antithesis of a healthy family or community.

Imagine a family that, over the years, is split further and further apart over issues that could have and should have been resolved. Is a nation any different?

Now imagine a nation, divided over how one category of people should be treated.  There's a high price for such refusal to grow up.

Mexicans are not the problem. Muslims are not the problem. Refugees are not the problem. And neither is NATO or China or the climate.  Of course.  Perhaps the central problem is our divisiveness.  Perhaps if we were less opposed to each other, we might find solutions for what needs solving.  If we were clear on the goals and less focused on winning, perhaps we might make progress.  If we paid more attention to what works and less on our preference, we might see beneficial progress.

It makes you wonder, doesn't it.  How's my own thinking on all of this.
_________________________________________________________________
Tantrum tactics:
  1. Demand
  2. Escalate
  3. Attack back
  4. Malign, accuse, denigrate, assign motive
  5. Huff, puff, blow harder, lie, obfuscate
Best examples today ... Some Republicans and some Democrats (unfortunately, in positions of significant influence), and some two-year olds.
Published by a really old guy -

Thursday, January 3, 2019

We don't want Syria.

Years of civil war have cost the livelihood and lives of millions.
We don't want Syria. No vast wealth. There's nothing there but sand and death.
~ Our president, 02 Jan 2019

Nothing there but sand and half a million who've died. And five million who've fled the country for their lives, leaving home and everything behind. And six million still inside the country who've been driven from their homes by the war.  More than a thousand children were killed or injured just in the first two months of last year.

There's nothing there we care about there, nothing we need to be concerned about, at least according to this administration.

Having been welcomed into the homes of just a few like these, having met many of their children, I cannot begin to grasp what is behind such thinking.
Published by a really old guy -
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