If you can stand it, here are some horrifying statistics from Health Affairs, via AMERICAblog:
In 1950, the United States was fifth among the leading industrialized nations with respect to female life expectancy at birth, surpassed only by Sweden, Norway, Australia, and the Netherlands The last available measure of female life expectancy had the United States ranked at forty-sixth in the world. As of September 23, 2010, the United States ranked forty-ninth for both male and female life expectancy combined.Oh, and:
...The United States now spends well over twice the median expenditure of industrialized nations on health care, and far more than any other country as a percentage of its gross domestic product...You wonder where the money goes. Here's one clue: Giant corporations looting Medicare.
HCA Columbia, for example, paid the largest fine in history for Medicare fraud after admitting to criminal behavior. Their CEO didn't go to jail. He went on to become governor of Florida.
Houston, we have a problem.
