Older Americans are sicker, but English die earlier, study says

Researchers at the U.S.-based RAND Corp. and the U.K.-based Institute for Fiscal Studies, have found that Americans aged 55 and older suffer more chronic disease—but live longer—than older people who get sick in England. "It appears that at least in terms of survival at older ages with chronic disease, the medical system in the United States may be better than the system in England," RAND economist James Smith, a co-author of the study, told Reuters. Even so, the U.S. spends more money on healthcare than any other country, and spending on healthcare for elderly Americans is almost double what it is in England. The U.S. spent 16 per cent of its national output ($7,538 per person) on health in 2008, more than double the average for OECD countries, which was $3,000 per person.

Reuters