How Do We Fix the Scandal That Is American Health Care?

Nicholas Kristof / The New York Times

Dr. Raymond Girnys checks Burt Saucier’s foot after his toes were amputated. (photo: September Dawn Bottoms/The New York Times)

17 August 23

It’s not just that life expectancy in Mississippi (71.9) now appears to be a hair shorter than in Bangladesh (72.4). Nor that an infant is some 70 percent more likely to die in the United States than in other wealthy countries.

Nor even that for the first time in probably a century, the likelihood that an American child will live to the age of 20 has dropped.

All that is tragic and infuriating, but to me the most heart-rending symbol of America’s failure in health care is the avoidable amputations that result from poorly managed diabetes.

WE ARE CONSIDERING MOVING AWAY FROM DISQUS. If you want to express your opinions about the RSN commenting system, CLICK HERE.

rsn / send to friend

form code