Healthcare Spending and Life Expectancy

[Cecilie1200]

I think that cosmetic surgery not required for reconstruction after trauma or for repair of a birth defect be at a higher rate of copay than other maintenance and repair surgery.

It should actually be a seperate rider on the main policy. And not be a part of the main group policy.
This would drop costs for health related care.

I don't know of any health insurance that covers cosmetic surgery that is not related to reconstruction. If you do, I would be fascinated to hear about it.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Nope.

Just supplying information.

What you're supplying is a stale non sequitur used by partisan hacks.

Americans spend lots of money on medical procedures that have nothing whatsoever to do with life expectancy. Moreover, lifestyle choices (i.e. chronic overeating) have far more to do with life expectancy, than what the society as a whole spends on medical services.

You're way smarter than this, dude.

Because, of course, this is the only country in the world where people chronically overeat.

Please name us another country with similar obesity rates. Thank you.

 

[antagon]

What you're supplying is a stale non sequitur used by partisan hacks.

Americans spend lots of money on medical procedures that have nothing whatsoever to do with life expectancy. Moreover, lifestyle choices (i.e. chronic overeating) have far more to do with life expectancy, than what the society as a whole spends on medical services.

You're way smarter than this, dude.

Because, of course, this is the only country in the world where people chronically overeat.

Please name us another country with similar obesity rates. Thank you.

definitely most of the countries in the south pacific. mexico. england. i think everyone in manchester is fat.

america's probably no. 1 for a nation our size. we're trend setters for better or worse.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Because, of course, this is the only country in the world where people chronically overeat.

Please name us another country with similar obesity rates. Thank you.

definitely most of the countries in the south pacific. mexico. england. i think everyone in manchester is fat.

america's probably no. 1 for a nation our size. we're trend setters for better or worse.

Interestingly enough, Mexico didn't have much of an obesity rate ten years ago. It has ballooned (pun intended) as Mexicans have increasingly adopted American eating habits.

As far as I can tell, England's obesity rate isn't even close to ours, although it is increasing. As for the South Pacific, I'm having trouble even finding numbers.

 

[Old Rocks]

Defensive nothing.

I said you were using an non sequitur used by hacks, not necessarily that you were acting as one yourself.

Elective surgeries are only one aspect of the amount of money spent on medical services, and the fact that there are numerous other unrelated factors that play into life expectancy still stands.

Simply put, the life expectancy angle is a total red herring.

Saying that healthcare spending and life span is a total red herring is pretty silly. Drop healthcare spending to zero and I'm willing to bet that life expectancy ain't going to remain constant.

Yes, but even THAT is a red herring. We're not talking about comparisons between the US and some third-world hellhole where the people drink the same water their livestock bathe in and the nearest medical clinic is a hundred miles away. We're talking about comparisons between the US and other first-tier nations, aren't we?

Of course, getting more facelifts and eating lots of Ho-Hos does have some effect on this graph. But do the math. The Danes live as long as Americans yet spend about $4000 per capita less than Americans on healthcare annually. With 310 million Americans, that is a difference of $1.24 trillion for the same outcome. Now, I'm sure eating lots herring and breathing in sea salt is healthy, but that's a lot of coin to explain away as lifestyle and elective surgery.

Maybe it's just that the Danish population is almost 100% white. Compare their life expectancy to that of white Americans, and you'll see that they're actually coming off worse. Hmm. Genetics is a *****, ain't it?

If you could quantify your argument, it would be appreciated.

If you could prove yours, instead of just assuming, THAT would be appreciated. Remember, correlation does not equal causation.

Hmmm......... Costa Rica has 1/10 the average income of the US and ranks third in longevity. They have had universal health care for 60 years.

 

[antagon]

Please name us another country with similar obesity rates. Thank you.

definitely most of the countries in the south pacific. mexico. england. i think everyone in manchester is fat.

america's probably no. 1 for a nation our size. we're trend setters for better or worse.

Interestingly enough, Mexico didn't have much of an obesity rate ten years ago. It has ballooned (pun intended) as Mexicans have increasingly adopted American eating habits.

As far as I can tell, England's obesity rate isn't even close to ours, although it is increasing. As for the South Pacific, I'm having trouble even finding numbers.

obesity is the name of the game in the pacific. sugar and spam. here's some wiki

sausage and mash in 'ol manchester. i think the mexico trend is also an emerging trend in europe and australia.

 

[Toronado3800]

These dozens of medical procedures I've had have all had SOMETHING to do with my quality of life/life expectancy. Everything from that pointless EKG when I thought a gall bladder attack may be a heart attack to the MRI to see what the heck was wrong in my knee. I get my cholesterol screened, my liver checked thanks to that cholesterol drug. With my sweet tooth my diabetes risk should be high so I keep having them check that.

Now will this upcoming ACL replacement help me live longer? We should agree me being able to walk and stay active w/o pain will keep me less obese and allow me more entertaining ways to get my heart pumping during exercise. Lord forbid the day the non repaired knee gives out when I'm on a ladder and that effect on my life expectancy lol.

Really every test I've ever had has been for some reason. Even if 10% of the population gets breast implants and another 10% tummy tucks I'll venture to say the average person gets dozens of other procedures done over the course of their lives. From mammograms to prostate screenings. My wife has a gynecologist and a regular doctor she visits every so often. If she got butt implants how many procedures would that require? Two? Over a five year period that would probably be 20% the this or that test she gets.


Male Obesity

Female Obesity

 

[Cecilie1200]

These dozens of medical procedures I've had have all had SOMETHING to do with my quality of life/life expectancy. Everything from that pointless EKG when I thought a gall bladder attack may be a heart attack to the MRI to see what the heck was wrong in my knee. I get my cholesterol screened, my liver checked thanks to that cholesterol drug. With my sweet tooth my diabetes risk should be high so I keep having them check that.

Now will this upcoming ACL replacement help me live longer? We should agree me being able to walk and stay active w/o pain will keep me less obese and allow me more entertaining ways to get my heart pumping during exercise. Lord forbid the day the non repaired knee gives out when I'm on a ladder and that effect on my life expectancy lol.

Really every test I've ever had has been for some reason. Even if 10% of the population gets breast implants and another 10% tummy tucks I'll venture to say the average person gets dozens of other procedures done over the course of their lives. From mammograms to prostate screenings. My wife has a gynecologist and a regular doctor she visits every so often. If she got butt implants how many procedures would that require? Two? Over a five year period that would probably be 20% the this or that test she gets.


Male Obesity

Female Obesity

And naturally, what YOU PERSONALLY have done is fully representative of the entire 300 million + people in the United States, right?

 

[Toronado3800]

Just trying to imagine. I couldn't find any detailed stats on pointless vs needed medical procedures.

For 50% of my procedures to be elective I'd have to average more than 1 cosmetic type surgery per year. Just seems like a lot. Haven't really thought about this before.

Last year I had 6 procedures assuming that means we count x-rays, MRI's, blood tests, stitches, rehab visits (as one), and this strange contraption they put my knee in to test looseness.

The year before I think I had no procedures. Probably two the year prior to that.

I'm dying to see these stats. Really, there have to be more folks like Joan Rivers out there.
ppl amaze me.