Life expectancy rising a lot faster for the well off.

[techs]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/07/more_on_raising_the_retirement.html

Larry Mishel writes in with another argument for why raising the Social Security age makes much more sense for affluent individuals who work in knowledge-oriented industries than for lower-income people whose jobs require more physical labor. If the argument is that life expectancy is rocketing upwards, and that retirement shouldn't grow along with it, it's important to point out that the increases in life expectancy aren't being shared equally



Suddenly the Republican plan to raise the retirement age makes sense.

 

[IronWing]

The problem with raising the retirement age is that living longer does not equate to being productive longer. Some folks have the energy and good health to work well beyond the traditional retirement age. Others just live longer. The dead wood problem is bad enough now. Imagine the dead wood hanging around for another five-ten years. We'd all be like Prince Charles waiting for mum to kick off.

 

[CycloWizard]

Managing chronic illness is the largest chunk of medical expenses. Chronic illness becomes more prevalent with age. If you want to push everyone in the lower group to a median lifespan of 85, you'd better start digging for gold ASAP. Or, if you have a proposal that magically fixes this disparity without costing trillions of dollars, by all means suggest it. I will personally work with you to get a feasible proposal funded as there are dozens of agencies and charities that would be very interested.

 

[nehalem256]

Do you think this might have something to do with it?

 

[tgferg67]

Do you think this might have something to do with it?

Yes, the argument could be made it's health/diet choices not physical labor. Making better choices affects income and health.

 

[Doppel]

Money affords better access to health care, though I suspect the majority of this is that those well off tend to make better life decisions as well. They exercise more, are obese less. Even the post above mine speaks to this trend. Go to a country club with $20k/year dues and take a snapshot of the restaurant goers. Now go to your average applebees and do the same. You'll see a huge disparity in adiposity.

 

[Dissipate]

Could there be smokers, drinkers and drug addicts in the bottom half of earners? Naaaaa, that can't be it...

 

[DaveSimmons]

See my 62% thread for an easy way to reduce medicare and social security costs as well

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2291102

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Yet another thread that techs got owned with the real facts.........LMAO!!!!!

 

[shortylickens]

AMA has a monopoly on health care etc. etc.

These threads never go anywhere.

 

[werepossum]

Money affords better access to health care, though I suspect the majority of this is that those well off tend to make better life decisions as well. They exercise more, are obese less. Even the post above mine speaks to this trend. Go to a country club with $20k/year dues and take a snapshot of the restaurant goers. Now go to your average applebees and do the same. You'll see a huge disparity in adiposity.

Sounds reasonable, as physical labor (as Americans practice it) should make one healthier.

 

[Muse]

Do you think this might have something to do with it?

Yes, the better educated tend to take better care of themselves. There's certainly a correlation between being well off and being well educated.

 

[CPA]

Obviously, the only solution is to kill rich people at an age that is consistent with non-rich people.

 

[IronWing]

Obviously, the only solution is to kill rich people at an age that is consistent with non-rich people.

This would certainly provide incentive to bring up the life expectancy of the less well to do.

 

[Jhhnn]

Yes, the argument could be made it's health/diet choices not physical labor. Making better choices affects income and health.

It's not like poor people own tobacco companies, is it? Hire lobbyists? Make billions off it?

I suspect that the disparity comes from a variety of factors, mostly that higher income (not necessarily better educated) people receive better medical care their whole lives, live & work in less hazardous environments.

Do you always blame the victims?

 

[Incorruptible]

Yet another thread that techs got owned with the real facts.........LMAO!!!!!

Agree. All he does is post barely one line, its just a copy and paste troll and run from the garbage and he hasn't even come back and morons have the nerve to attack me for my threads which actually have more input than this crap.

 

[Jhhnn]

Agree. All he does is post barely one line, its just a copy and paste troll and run from the garbage and he hasn't even come back and morons have the nerve to attack me for my threads which actually have more input than this crap.

Well, yeh, but your input *is* crap. Do you actually have anything to say about the subject at hand?

 

[Incorruptible]

Well, yeh, but your input *is* crap. Do you actually have anything to say about the subject at hand?

Compare my paragraph to his 10 words crap. I put in more insight and offer discussion

 

[Jhhnn]

Agree. All he does is post barely one line, its just a copy and paste troll and run from the garbage and he hasn't even come back and morons have the nerve to attack me for my threads which actually have more input than this crap.

Well, yeh, but your input *is* crap. Do you actually have anything to say about the subject at hand?

Compare my paragraph to his 10 words crap. I put in more insight and offer discussion

And your input to this thread is what, exactly?

Whining?

You don't wear the mantle of perpetual victimhood very well.

 

[blackangst1]

Probably access to better healthcare is one factor. Life choices are another. Even the poorest of families can get at least a high school education, and who, after graduating high school, doesnt know smoking, drug use, and alcohol abuse (more common in low income families) is bad for you? Just because youre poor doesnt mean you have to make bad choices.

Now, dont go saying I think people are poor by choice. I dont. But the choices made by that demographic are still choices.

 

[monovillage]

Another techs hit and run post where he gets his ass owned by the facts and then a few lefties try desperately to back him up.

 

[IronWing]

Another techs hit and run post where he gets his ass owned by the facts and then a few lefties try desperately to back him up.

Not really facts. Mostly conjecture, well reasoned but still conjecture.

 

[Incorruptible]

Another techs hit and run post where he gets his ass owned by the facts and then a few lefties try desperately to back him up.

Doesn't he get tired of this and the people defending him when he was clearly wrong ought to be ashamed of themselves.

 

[blackangst1]

Not really facts. Mostly conjecture, well reasoned but still conjecture.

OK then lets go over these facts int he thread.

1. Life expectancy for the rich is rising.
2. The rich have better access to better healthcare (healthcare costs money, duh).
3. The poor smoke at rates higher than the rich.
4. The poor abuse alcohol at higher rates than the rich.
5. The poor abuse drugs at a higher rate than the rich.

Now tell us. With those facts, healthcare issue aside, is it possible for the poor to live longer by making better choices?

edit: BTW this is really nothing new. HERE is a report from 1987 showing the poor abuse drugs at a much higher rate than the rich. And guess what. Using drugs is a choice (at some point it can become an addiction, but it always starts with a choice). Also guess what. Using drugs shortens your life span.

 

[BrightCandle]

There is good evidence based on world facts that the level of inequality is not only correlated with but is the cause of decreased life expectancy. Throughout the western world the USA is the worst for life expectancy and child survival. Partly its your different medical care but in a large part stress literally kills. There are a whole host of issues with high social stress caused by inequality and the amount the USA imposes on its less wealthy is worth a decade or so of life.

Its an interesting problem because for the most part the American dream of social mobility isn't true (its the least socially mobile country in the western world) but also the one that believes in it most. The current social structure of money has historically been very bad for the american people, with 10x the violence, much higher mental health problems and the lowest life expectancy. But I have no doubt that many people will defend that way of life, despite statistically it being the worst social structure found in the wealthy countries.