Krugman's entire argument on quality in the op-ed was based on this one paragraph
Most Americans probably don't know that we have substantially lower life-expectancy and higher infant-mortality figures than other advanced countries. It would be wrong to jump to the conclusion that this poor performance is entirely the result of a defective health care system; social factors, notably America's high poverty rate, surely play a role. Still, it seems puzzling that we spend so much, with so little return.
Nice to see you have faith that he is having his facts and figures vetted by researchers. That would mark a welcome change. Still, he has stated two figures as the total basis for his argument on quality. But I would be surprised to learn them, as neither is especially true. Life expectancy in the US, according to WHO, is 77.4 years. There are a few advanced countries, such as Germany or France, that can beat this by a year or two, but it's debatable whether most people would see this as "substantially lower".
Infant mortality statistics are not lower at all once one corrects for the different treatment of low-weight babies, as has just been pointed out to you. Indeed, the US is getting worse figures there because its medical care is much higher quality than the rest of the world - we are saving babies that most of the rest of the world does not even try to save.
Even for those two figures, neither especially true, Krugman felt it necessary caveat them with "the poverty rate", which brings up questions of access. So basically, the whole quality argument is based on hot air. Because that was it.
So, I would wish to see, not only the argument, with data, that Krugman should have included your factors, but, if possible, the larger literature that discusses this issue. All of that before I would be willing to conclude he was wrong on this point
Why don't YOU go and find some data, professor, instead of rejecting whatever is laid before you, however reasoned or well-sourced, demanding always more and better to meet your "criteria", while providing no data yourself? |
