Way Too Many Premature Deaths

A new study by British researchers puts the United States dead last among 19 industrialized countries for preventable deaths before age 75—with 110 deaths per 100,000 people in 2002-03. If the U.S. record matched those of top-performing France, Japan, and Australia, 101,000 fewer Americans would die needlessly each year from causes such as diabetes, some cancers, and infections. "We are the only country in the study that doesn't have insurance for the whole population," says Cathy Schoen, senior vice president at the Commonwealth Fund, which funded the study. And high costs can lead even those with coverage to delay getting necessary care.