I was just reading another enlightening column by Peter Freyne of Seven Days, in which he compares the healthcare systems of the US to that of the UK (in the context of a Tarrant commercial).
He points out that “when it comes to deaths from cardiovascular diseases, the UK’s single-payer system beats the U.S. — 181.8 deaths per 100,000 there to 187.8 in the land of health insurance for profit!”
He is not the first to point out that the US had a high rate of this type of illness and many use it to charge that the US healthcare system is substandard when compared to the countries with socialized medicine.
I look at this another way, the US has a high rate of obesity-related diseases because many of us are fat and lazy, which has nothing to do with our healthcare system.
When you compare conditions that are not obesity related – such as cancer – the US comes out on top. A fact acknowledged in the Freyne piece.
I was just reading this story the other day about whether or not to change the current CDC (government) guidelines that direct doctors to not use the word “obese” with children and teens and say the child is “at risk for overweight” when they are in fact already overweight in order to spare the feelings of the child and parents.
I don’t know who they think they are helping. Which is worse, being told by a doctor when you are 14 that you are obese, or being told by a doctor when you are 40 that you will probably not live to see your next birthday due to your unhealthy lifestyle?
The future of America’s cardiovascular death rate (and diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses) does not look well, either. 34% of today’s kids are in the “at risk for overweight” category (overweight) and 17% are in the “overweight” category (obese). That means that more than 50% of today’s youth are likely overweight.
The fact that America has an obesity epidemic – and a let’s-not-hurt-people’s-feelings epidemic – is not the fault of our healthcare system. And it is certainly not a criterion by which to judge a free-market healthcare system versus a government-run one. After all, it was at the government’s insistence that this obesity problem has gotten so far out of hand in the first place!
July 6th, 2006 at 3:22 am
How do you feel about Tarrant’s ads where the seniors get left behind?
Even if the UK/US Cancer death rates were what Tarrant says, how does ’seniors left behind’ result from that?
If you call Freyne’s citation of cardiovascular disease rates faulty because it blames a cultural phenomenon on an insurance system, then you should be consistant when it comes to Tarrant doing the same thing with cancer. Maybe more people smoke there, or work in coal mines- higher cancer rates aren’t necessarily the fault of single-payer.
Tarrant just likes to flap his gums say basically say Bernie wants old people to get caner. His little effort here might go down as one of the most negative, dishonest and cut-throat campaigns in the history of our little enlightened, civil state.
It’s a little sad to see a respected member of the Vermont business comminity destroy the good reputation he spent so long building.
This MSM story comparing health stats in the UK and US is interesting: (click here)
July 6th, 2006 at 1:18 pm
My post was not about the Tarrant commercial. I was just putting the Freyne quote in context.
I have heard many people cite a higher hate of cardiovascular disease as evidence that we have the “worst healthcare system in the world.” I think that argument is disingenuous.
You know, I am not Tarrant’s biggest cheerleader. If you look in the side bar of this very website, you will see that my guest on “She’s Right” this month is his Republican Primary opponent, Greg Parke.
July 6th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
I’m sure Peter Freyne is very familiar with cardiovascular problems. Too bad he’s not as familiar with competent journalism.
July 7th, 2006 at 2:42 am
Is there gonna be a Tarrant-Parke debate?
July 7th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
I have no idea. I would think the Tarrant campaign would choose not to have one because it would serve to legitimize his opponent. That is my own speculation based on what some political candidates choose to do. (Like when Sanders wouldn’t debate Parke.)
July 8th, 2006 at 4:39 am
Sanders didn’t debate Parke? Are you sure? Anyway I was just thinking Tarrant could use the practice. But that’s enough free advice from me.