I cannot imagine why this might be. Isn't the USA the richest country on the planet?? You'd think spending all that money would get you something, right??
(health care spending per capita on the left, life expectancy on the right)
I cannot imagine why this might be. Isn't the USA the richest country on the planet?? You'd think spending all that money would get you something, right??
(health care spending per capita on the left, life expectancy on the right)
Interestingly, Japan is considered to have the best health care system... but it's not universal! It's a universal insurance system, where citizens are responsible for 30% of their bill (or less if they're poor). I don't think it's single-payer on the hospital side either, but don't quote me on that.
I mean, it's really obvious why the usa's system is so shit, and expensive. But why Japan's is so good is much less obvious. It's one of the only top-tier health care systems that isn't full-on universal health care, and it's also one of the cheapest per capita. Go figure!
Japan's use of public transit and walking, alongside one of the healthiest diets in the world very likely contributes to this stuff.
Also while I hate these arguments, a lack of diversity absolutely does impact health outcomes. If it didn't, the health disparities we see from when non black doctors have black patients in the US that exist across class lines wouldn't exist in the same way.
I would argue that's a function of racism, and not diversity.
Also this data seems important: https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-expenditures-vary-across-population/?_sf_s=How+Do+Health+Expenditures+Vary+Across+the+Population#item-whites-have-higher-health-spending-in-most-age-categories-than-people-in-other-groups_2016
Some observations:
Blacks end up spending less until 45 years old, when they suddenly start spending more than both Asians and Hispanics. (consistent with the ACEs thing, just saying)
Whites aged under 19 spend about the same as non-Whites aged 35 to 45.
White people spend the most so it does not make any possible sense to blame non-Whites for high average health costs. (or what, reverse-racism confirmed?)
Overall healthcare spending is very skewed, if you look at the rest of that page...
Worth nothing that 89% saying they are in at least good health doesn't mean much in a study like this; because really bad health is usually a transient thing (because you get better, or you die, or you have a chronic condition in the remaining 11%), so it doesn't mean they are well served by the healthcare system.
Is worth noting that doctors will often run extra even unnecessary diagnostics and such if they expect you can afford it.
Much of old people spending more is not just that they get sick, but that they have a juicy retirement fund.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma or stress in general are strongly associated with bad heath outcomes basically across the board.
Because Japan is more culturally and ethnically homogeneous, there is not such a huge fraction of the population enduring constant oppression and abuse or neglect due to racism.
Chronic trauma related responses (such as fight/flight/freeze/anxiety/depression/etc) have harmful hormone and immune system effects.
This leads to more inflammation, ulcers, heart disease, cancers, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, and obviously addictions.
(it is worth noting Nadine Burke Harris is correct about ADHD; many symptoms appearing as ADHD also exist in cPTSD, the issue is complex, both ADHD and cPTSD are very real, serious, and common conditions. Short version is that ADHD is largely a dopamine issue, and dopamine is also involved in stress responses.)