[ExI] Declining Life Expectancies in U.K & U.S

[SR Ballard]

I'm not sure if this is actually relevant, as I was having trouble
understanding this, but it seems related to the discussion at hand. I've
always struggled to understand CPIs.

I was reading the US 2010 Census data today (I'm writing a rather long
reply to another post). In Section 3, Table 142 you'll find the Consumer
Price Index of Medical Care. "100" is calibrated to represent the prices
1982-1984.

As of 1980, Prices for physicians were 77, Dental was 79, hospital was 70,
Perscriptions were 73.

In 1990 they were 161, 156, 168, 182.
in 2000 they were 245, 259, 317, 285.
In 2010 they were 331, 399, 608, 408.

Are these already adjusted for inflation? Even if they are, it's still a
bit shocking to see the money spent on hospital stays to increase 9x over
the period 1980 to 2010. Though perhaps it is a function of changing usage
of hospitals and the medical system? Such as going to the doctor for every
little cold, use of ER for minor health problems, mending teeth rather than
doing extractions (as well as increased cosmetic dentistry), and an
increasing number of new prescription drugs.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding what I am reading?

(For reference, $100 in 1983, was the equivalent of $222 in 2010.)


On Fri, Aug 24, 2018 at 4:26 PM, William Flynn Wallace <foozler83 at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
> On Fri, Aug 24, 2018 at 1:25 PM, SR Ballard <sen.otaku at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> we spend higher percentages of our GDP on our medical systems
>>
>>
>> 1. A bag of saline can cost $600 or more in US
>> 2. I was charged $750,000+ for 30 days in the hospital (I did not require
>> any surgery or imaging)
>> 3. Lack of preventative care
>> 4. Lack of quick access to medical doctors do to lack of fund -- use of
>> ER when GP visit is more appropriate
>> 5. Poor food quality
>> 6. Poor nutrition guidelines
>> 7. Lack of exercise (US uses cars for everything)
>> 8. The combination of obesity and diabetis
>>
>
> I have read and been educated and informed by reading books and articles
> by Atul Gawande. If you don't know him, you should.  He deals with some of
> the very inequalities in costs and prices you list above. He is a NYC
> surgeon.    bill w
>
>>
>>
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