US Life Expectancy, Health Costs Not a Pretty Picture

Viral graph shows better stats for numerous developed countries
By Marie Morris,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 4, 2010 3:52 PM CST
US Life Expectancy, Health Costs Not a Pretty Picture
This scatterplot graph shows life expectancy plotted against health care spending per person.   (FiveThirtyEight.com)

A graphic that's gaining wide currency on the Internet paints a grim picture of the American health care system, which costs more than any other country's but results in an average life expectancy that's solidly middle-of-the-pack. The graph, originally posted on a National Geographic blog, wasn't clear enough for the mad geniuses at FiveThirtyEight.com, so Andrew Gelman offers a scatterpoint graph that makes the bad news even clearer.
(More health care reform stories.)

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