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More Young People Die in America than in Other Rich Countries (Two Pictures Explain Why)
Shutterstock The average life expectancy of American men is almost four years less than men in Switzerland. In fact, among 17 high income countries, U.S. men ranked 17th in life expectancy. American women die young, too, with a life expectancy five years less than the average Japanese woman. Why is American life expectancy so poor? In part,…
Disliking Obamacare despite Benefiting from It
No surprise to learn that the majority of Republicans dislike Obamacare. But did you know that the majority of Republicans, who SIGNED UP FOR INSURANCE through Obamacare, still dislike the law? That’s one finding from a recent Kaiser survey: Notably, they dislike the law even though they LIKE THEIR INSURANCE: I look forward to the…
Medical Bankruptcy Is Much Less Common Than Elizabeth Warren Tells You
Elizabeth Warren describes medical bills as “the leading cause of personal bankruptcy” in the United States. She bases that opinion in part on her own research, in which she and her collaborators surveyed people who had experienced personal bankruptcy, asked them whether they’d experienced health-related financial distress, and concluded that 60% of all bankruptcies in the U.S. result…
Obamacare Hasn’t Killed Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
Some people worried that the ACA would kill employer-sponsored health insurance, by giving employers an “out” – by letting them shift insurance to the exchanges. The ACA set up financial incentives, to reduce such shifting. And so far, it looks like it’s working: Still quite early, of course. I’ll keep my eyes open for further…
Great Consumer Reports Article on Our Research
Donna Rosato, an excellent journalist at CR, as the cool kids call it, just published an excellent article highlighting some of our research on money talk in the doctor’s office. Here is a teaser. A growing body of research has found that as people pay more out of pocket for their healthcare, they’re likely to put off treatment instead of seeking a…
Got a Big Belly? (Why Big Sugar Is to Blame)
Photo Credit: LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images Growing up Republican, I have long believed in personal responsibility. In junior high school, when I observed close relatives who struggled with obesity, I vowed to never let myself get out of shape. (“Junior high” is what we called middle school back in the day.) When hip surgery gone wrong…