Yang just dropped a big post on his healthcare plan. https://www.yang2020.com/blog/a-new-way-forward-for-healthcare-in-america/ Highlights: Control the cost of life-saving prescription drugs, through negotiating drug prices, using international reference pricing, forced licensing, public manufacturing facilities, and importation. Invest in technologies to finally make health services function efficiently and reduce waste by utilizing modernized services like telehealth and assistive technology, supported by measures such as multi-state licensing laws. Change the incentive structure by offering flexibility to providers, prioritizing patients over paperwork, and increasing the supply of practitioners. Shift our focus and educating ourselves in preventative care and end-of-life care options. Ensure crucial aspects of wellbeing, including mental health, care for people with disabilities, HIV/AIDs detection and treatment, reproductive health, maternal care, dental, and vision are addressed and integrated into comprehensive care for the 21st century. Diminish the influence of lobbyists and special interests in the healthcare industry that makes it nearly impossible to draft and pass meaningful healthcare reform. Suspiciously absent here is his declared support for the public option (i.e. Medicare for those who want it). Fixing the obvious and simple cost problems is one thing, but Democrats need to get their hands around this and coalesce on a path forward, otherwise Republicants are going to scatter them to the wind at the ballot box.
During the Obamacare debates, I remember reading a study how healthcare costs are more expensive in total for people who take care of themselves and live longer compared to cancer stick abusers and fatties with heart issues. Sober conclusion was the group Bill Maher shames for dying sinfully earlier 'payed in' more than the chronically old to whom the system paid out. No one with a platform of humane care will touch upon this reality. It's not only a third rail but a persistent and growing driver of overall healthcare costs. Ironically, immigration flow and undocumented, therefore unassisted, people buffer against losses to support the same elderly groups who desperately oppose them because of good ol fashioned nostalgia. I don't think this discourages people from finding an answer, but avoiding the issue is like a ignoring the mud under the tires and pushing down on the pedal. As for number 6, not sure how he does that before taking down the Citizens United ruling.
this, though the early catastrophic diers are still unsustainable as well. We will someday have to grapple with the fact that we can’t afford extreme care for all, into their dotage.
Not sure where you are going with this but it reads like you think the elderly have issues with immigration. That's painting them with a broad brush.
IIRC, end of life care can be crazy expensive and usually has low returns in quality of life and positive outcomes. They can be treated as hail marys or an insane form of human experimentation. I'm not sure how that can be solved ethically or rationally for everyone. It's one thing to say you want the plug to be pulled or don't want 1st gen highly toxic cancer treatment when you're young and in control of your facillities. It's another when you have people depending on you or family members who are beginning their lives and aren't old enough to remember you. I left it broad with "elderly groups" as some groups have been highly vocal and xenophobic about how America doesn't look or feel like the way they remembered, but I haven't heard about any other elderly groups defending or acknowledging immigrants for their hidden dividend.
Good read about Yang’s progress to date. This week’s debate is huge for him: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-we-know-about-andrew-yangs-base/ (Excerpt) With only seven candidates making the cut for December’s debate, it’s fair to say that Yang’s outsider candidacy has broken through in the Democratic primary — in large part thanks to enthusiasm for him among younger voters and Asian Americans. The question now is whether he can expand his appeal beyond 3 or 4 percent nationally. Raising nearly $10 million in the third quarter certainly helps his case — that’s real money he can use to build an on-the-ground campaign structure in early states like Iowa and New Hampshire. And with an army of small donors, Yang may have a reliable source of money to broaden his reach. Still, the crowded group of four candidates at the top of the polls will make it tough for him to actually win the nomination. Nonetheless, Yang’s continued presence in the primary — when other candidates with more traditional resumes have already dropped out — speaks volumes to his appeal. Perhaps Thursday night will be an opportunity for him to gain real momentum. After all, despite speaking the fewest words in the last debate, Yang’s net favorability improved the most of any candidate on stage in our polling with Ipsos. Maybe don’t write Yang off just yet, even if a lot would have to go right for him to break into the top four.
If somehow Bernie wins and Yang would accept a VP slot next to him. I think you would see the highest turnout in decades if ever. I dunno the stats or history on that though.
To clarify that high turnout could potentially be because of votes for and against. But mainly because of 18-30 years voting in high numbers. Throw Tulsi Gabbard in as the secretary of defense and Warren as Secretary of State. And the US would collectively lose their minds.
Good thing we don't just only have one of the lowest life expectancies for a highly developed country, we also have had our life expectancy decline for 3 years straight ! I mean, I don't know why we're in such a rush to fix the opioid OD epidemic, it's really helping the sustainability of our healthcare system. Now, of course, this was an overly sarcastic post, and I'm not trying to be malicious to you, but our life expectancy is pathetic and I really don't see all the other countries with much higher life expectancies (whom all have UNIVERSAL coverage) suffering so much.
In the similar way, I'm not dumping on Yang, but I will expect more details other than a broad corporate looking mission statement. P.S. life expectancy isn't pathetic for everyone. A large majority happen to like it, and "choose" to keep it that way. That's probably the bigger hurdle...
I'm not sure how you or "a large majority" happen to measure life expectancy, and how much this hypothetical group of people "happen to like it" and "choose" to keep it that way... The average life expectancy is for the country (78.6), is roughly the same for white people (78.8 years, which is still pathetic)... if that's what you were getting at. Hispanics actually live significantly (81.8, 3 whole years) longer than white Americans. Asian Americans live the longest, black and native Americans have the lowest life expectancies.
Perhaps we can look to any of the 30+ countries that currently have both longer life expectancies. and universal healthcare coverage...and ask how they are doing it instead?
Yeah a lot of people would go to the polls to make sure Sanders/Yang are thrown in the wastebasket with Mondale, Dukakis and McGovern.
Im assuming you intend to change the diet, lifestyle and stress load of the America public then. Many of the extended life care options here do not exist in countries with universal or state ran healthcare. There are many reasons that Americans have seen their life expectancy decrease and without a cultural change/prioritization the numbers will not go up much.
Yes! That IS what we should be doing if it's the pathway to success (longer, healthier lives). We are clearly doing something VERY wrong to have our life expectancy drop 3 years in a row, that is unheard of for highly developed countries. Sounds like America needs to change, sounds like we need new goals. We can take Australia for an expample, similar demographics, diet isn't likely too different... yet comprehensive universal healthcare and they live 4+ years longer with one of the highest life expectancies in the world. How the american attitude changed to acceptance of failure is crazy to me, America can't be #1 when our people can't live the longest and healthiest lives possible. How we can say we have to accept not having healthcare AND living long together, is downright upsetting to me.
Don't laugh, but there's legit rumblings that Biden is high on a Yang VP pick. The oldest base of support and the youngest base of support. And a fun time was had by all.
Interesting review of recent findings on US life expectancy. _______ After increasing for decades, U.S. life expectancy is on the decline, and a new study reveals some of the reasons behind the alarming trend. The study, published today (Nov. 26) in the journal JAMA, found that the decline is mostly among "working-age" Americans, or those ages 25 to 64. In this group, the risk of dying from drug abuse, suicide, hypertension and more than 30 other causes is increasing, the authors said.. The findings suggest that life expectancy in the U.S. is rapidly falling behind that of other wealthy countries. Indeed, the particular decline among working-age adults has not been seen in other countries, and is a "distinctly American phenomenon," said study co-author Steven H. Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. "Death rates among working-age adults are on the rise," Woolf told Live Science. "We have known for years that the health of Americans is inferior to that of other wealthy nations, but our research shows that the decline in U.S. health relative to other countries began as early as the 1980s." The new study analyzed more than five decades of data on U.S. life expectancy. The results showed that, although U.S. life expectancy increased from 1959 to 2014, those figures plateaued in 2011 and began decreasing in 2014. The main culprits behind the decline appear to be drug overdose, alcohol abuse, suicide and a wide variety of organ system diseases among young and middle-age adults, especially individuals who did not complete high school. In particular, declines were seen among people living in some parts of New England, including Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont; as well as those living in the "Ohio Valley," which includes Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. These specific regions have been battered by the opioid epidemic and were among the most hard-hit victims of the collapse of the United States manufacturing sector. Indeed, more than one-third of excess deaths since 2010 have occured in the Ohio Valley states. In contrast, life expectancy increased for those living along the Pacific coast from 2010 to 2017. Although many countries experienced economic shifts in the 1980s, Woolf suspects that the unique drop is U.S life expectancy may be due to lack of support for struggling families. "In other countries, families that fall on hard times have programs and services available to cushion the blow. In America, people often have to fend for themselves," Woolf said. Absence of social services may also explain why the study found larger relative increases in mortality among women, "who have even fewer support systems, and more childcare responsibilities," he added. Howard Koh of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who was not involved in the study, described the findings as "the most exhaustive and detailed analysis of this topic to date." In addition to weeding out the causes of death, Koh told Live Science that one solution to America's declining life expectancy may be "embracing the leading causes of life" — that is, paying more attention to how social connections and strong community networks impact wellbeing. "Other countries spend relatively more in terms of social services," Koh said. "Health is much more than what happens in a doctor's office. It starts where people live, learn, labor and pray." https://www.livescience.com/us-life-expectancy-decline-working-age.html
It is a complicated issue. Having lived in Western Europe and the USA I can tell you the biggest difference isn’t socialized medicine. In Western Europe jobs are not as important and do not define who you are. There are certainly status driven people but not to the degree that exist in the USA. Jobs end at 5 pm and are not considered again until the next morning. There are larger family networks and the old and young socialize together often through family. Extended families meet more often. People in Western Europe walk more often and do not expect doctors to solve all their problems. In many cases fewer chemicals are allowed in their products. Also people in Western Europe have lower expectations and are more happy as a result. The actual medical technology in Western Europe is lower in my experience. The preventive care and basic care is excellent. More complicated procedures, not so much. They will not give you options that exist in the USA.
