Gap in Life Expectancy Widens for the Nation

New York Times: Gap in Life Expectancy Widens for the Nation

WASHINGTON — New government research has found “large and growing” disparities in life expectancy for richer and poorer Americans, paralleling the growth of income inequality in the last two decades.

Life expectancy for the nation as a whole has increased, the researchers said, but affluent people have experienced greater gains, and this, in turn, has caused a widening gap….

…While researchers do not agree on an explanation for the widening gap, they have suggested many reasons, including these:

• Doctors can detect and treat many forms of cancer and heart disease because of advances in medical science and technology. People who are affluent and better educated are more likely to take advantage of these discoveries.
• Smoking has declined more rapidly among people with greater education and income.
• Lower-income people are more likely to live in unsafe neighborhoods, to engage in risky or unhealthy behavior and to eat unhealthy food.
• Lower-income people are less likely to have health insurance, so they are less likely to receive checkups, screenings, diagnostic tests, prescription drugs and other types of care.

Even among people who have insurance, many studies have documented racial disparities. …

Insurance appears to be less of a problem than it might first appear. As economist Robert Fogel points out, "…the poor are already entitled to health care under Medicaid and that the near poor often receive free health care through county or city hospitals and emergency rooms." The problem is that the poor don't use the services they have available to them. More proactive measures are needed. (see earlier post.)

Life expectancy is highly influenced by infant mortality rates, which have been rising among the poor because of insufficient prenatal and postnatal care. More insurance will do little to rectify the problem if people don't use the current insurance that covers these issues.