On the Nature of Things | Forum

How an industry shifted from protecting patients to seeking profit.

Colonel Sun wrote:A bit of history.

Standford Med | Insurance policy

How an industry shifted from protecting patients to seeking profit.

Doc wrote:

Colonel Sun wrote:A bit of history.

Standford Med | Insurance policy

How an industry shifted from protecting patients to seeking profit.

Yeah health insurance was originally advertised as non profit. What it really is today, is a pre-payment plan that charges a large negative interest rate.

Colonel Sun wrote:A bit of history.

Standford Med | Insurance policy

How an industry shifted from protecting patients to seeking profit.

Mr. Perfect wrote:

Colonel Sun wrote:A bit of history.

Standford Med | Insurance policy

How an industry shifted from protecting patients to seeking profit.

What a terrible article.

Colonel Sun wrote:

Mr. Perfect wrote:

Colonel Sun wrote:A bit of history.

Standford Med | Insurance policy

How an industry shifted from protecting patients to seeking profit.

What a terrible article.

What an insightful comment.

Nonc Hilaire wrote:We need to get off this monolithic concept of heathcare. There are a thousand independent issues to address, and we could make progress if they were addressed independently.

Miss_Faucie_Fishtits wrote:

Doc wrote:

Colonel Sun wrote:A bit of history.

Standford Med | Insurance policy

How an industry shifted from protecting patients to seeking profit.

Yeah health insurance was originally advertised as non profit. What it really is today, is a pre-payment plan that charges a large negative interest rate.

And the so-called account holders (Medicare especially) have payments made on their behalf by personal and corporate taxpayers, deferred payments based on projected future medical and fiduciary assets, and scattershot IOU's based on hopefully, maybe and...... that's a problem for Future Homer, glad I'm not that guy......'>.......

Why expanding social services won’t do much to cut America’s health-care costs

Colonel Sun wrote:CIty J | Correlation Without Causation

Why expanding social services won’t do much to cut America’s health-care costs

Nonc Hilaire wrote:

Colonel Sun wrote:CIty J | Correlation Without Causation

Why expanding social services won’t do much to cut America’s health-care costs

The view from the Ivory Tower is idyllic.
Homeless shelters are far cheaper than hospitals and prisons.

Simple Minded wrote:

Nonc Hilaire wrote:

Colonel Sun wrote:CIty J | Correlation Without Causation

Why expanding social services won’t do much to cut America’s health-care costs

The view from the Ivory Tower is idyllic.
Homeless shelters are far cheaper than hospitals and prisons.

Always tough to separate the "politics" from the "science." So much of health care costs in the US are the result of voluntary life style choices. "Oink Oink, too many donuts!"

" The U.S. exemplifies this affluence—and excess—though the country’s high rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (double those in Europe) illustrate the limits of the “social determinants of health” argument. "

Then there is the contradicting goals. Good health care = lower health care costs + longer life = increased social security costs.

Easy to measure in terms of dollars and cents, but attaining the goal of lower costs to society might not mesh with the moral arguments.

Nonc Hilaire wrote:My money is on the primary cause of obesity and diabetes ending up being endocrine disruptors, primarily sugar.

Mr. Perfect wrote:

Nonc Hilaire wrote:My money is on the primary cause of obesity and diabetes ending up being endocrine disruptors, primarily sugar.

It's almost any processed food. The only way out is to grow your own heirloom foods.

Doc wrote:
I blame medicine for the obesity and diabetes epidemic.

U8VHc49ZdP4

Simple Minded wrote:

Doc wrote:
I blame medicine for the obesity and diabetes epidemic.

U8VHc49ZdP4

Doc, obviously you have learned nothing from the gun control crowd, spoons are to blame for all human health problems.

imagine the health care savings possible if we had national "common sense spoon control" laws.

Abstract
Importance US life expectancy has not kept pace with that of other wealthy countries and is now decreasing.

Objective
To examine vital statistics and review the history of changes in US life expectancy and increasing mortality rates; and to identify potential contributing factors, drawing insights from current literature and an analysis of state-level trends.

Evidence
Life expectancy data for 1959-2016 and cause-specific mortality rates for 1999-2017 were obtained from the US Mortality Database and CDC WONDER, respectively. The analysis focused on midlife deaths (ages 25-64 years), stratified by sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography (including the 50 states). Published research from January 1990 through August 2019 that examined relevant mortality trends and potential contributory factors was examined.

Findings
Between 1959 and 2016, US life expectancy increased from 69.9 years to 78.9 years but declined for 3 consecutive years after 2014. The recent decrease in US life expectancy culminated a period of increasing cause-specific mortality among adults aged 25 to 64 years that began in the 1990s, ultimately producing an increase in all-cause mortality that began in 2010. During 2010-2017, midlife all-cause mortality rates increased from 328.5 deaths/100 000 to 348.2 deaths/100 000. By 2014, midlife mortality was increasing across all racial groups, caused by drug overdoses, alcohol abuse, suicides, and a diverse list of organ system diseases. The largest relative increases in midlife mortality rates occurred in New England (New Hampshire, 23.3%; Maine, 20.7%; Vermont, 19.9%) and the Ohio Valley (West Virginia, 23.0%; Ohio, 21.6%; Indiana, 14.8%; Kentucky, 14.7%). The increase in midlife mortality during 2010-2017 was associated with an estimated 33 307 excess US deaths, 32.8% of which occurred in 4 Ohio Valley states.

Conclusions and Relevance
US life expectancy increased for most of the past 60 years, but the rate of increase slowed over time and life expectancy decreased after 2014. A major contributor has been an increase in mortality from specific causes (eg, drug overdoses, suicides, organ system diseases) among young and middle-aged adults of all racial groups, with an onset as early as the 1990s and with the largest relative increases occurring in the Ohio Valley and New England. The implications for public health and the economy are substantial, making it vital to understand the underlying causes.

Colonel Sun wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 10:08 pm JAMA | Life Expectancy and Mortality Rates in the United States, 1959-2017

Abstract
Importance US life expectancy has not kept pace with that of other wealthy countries and is now decreasing.

Objective
To examine vital statistics and review the history of changes in US life expectancy and increasing mortality rates; and to identify potential contributing factors, drawing insights from current literature and an analysis of state-level trends.

Evidence
Life expectancy data for 1959-2016 and cause-specific mortality rates for 1999-2017 were obtained from the US Mortality Database and CDC WONDER, respectively. The analysis focused on midlife deaths (ages 25-64 years), stratified by sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography (including the 50 states). Published research from January 1990 through August 2019 that examined relevant mortality trends and potential contributory factors was examined.

Findings
Between 1959 and 2016, US life expectancy increased from 69.9 years to 78.9 years but declined for 3 consecutive years after 2014. The recent decrease in US life expectancy culminated a period of increasing cause-specific mortality among adults aged 25 to 64 years that began in the 1990s, ultimately producing an increase in all-cause mortality that began in 2010. During 2010-2017, midlife all-cause mortality rates increased from 328.5 deaths/100 000 to 348.2 deaths/100 000. By 2014, midlife mortality was increasing across all racial groups, caused by drug overdoses, alcohol abuse, suicides, and a diverse list of organ system diseases. The largest relative increases in midlife mortality rates occurred in New England (New Hampshire, 23.3%; Maine, 20.7%; Vermont, 19.9%) and the Ohio Valley (West Virginia, 23.0%; Ohio, 21.6%; Indiana, 14.8%; Kentucky, 14.7%). The increase in midlife mortality during 2010-2017 was associated with an estimated 33 307 excess US deaths, 32.8% of which occurred in 4 Ohio Valley states.

Conclusions and Relevance
US life expectancy increased for most of the past 60 years, but the rate of increase slowed over time and life expectancy decreased after 2014. A major contributor has been an increase in mortality from specific causes (eg, drug overdoses, suicides, organ system diseases) among young and middle-aged adults of all racial groups, with an onset as early as the 1990s and with the largest relative increases occurring in the Ohio Valley and New England. The implications for public health and the economy are substantial, making it vital to understand the underlying causes.

Miss_Faucie_Fishtits wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:02 am Might be related to this attitude in regards to anything social services and personal responsibility:

Miss_Faucie_Fishtits wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:02 am Might be related to this attitude in regards to anything social services and personal responsibility: