QuoteThe US healthcare system is to blame for declines in the country's life expectancy ranking, a study suggests.
The Columbia University report rejects claims that factors such as obesity have shortened life-spans for Americans relative to other wealthy nations.
The study blames reliance on costly and fragmented specialised care, and calls for systemic reform.
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The study notes that in 1950, the US ranked fifth among leading industrialised nations for female life expectancy at birth, but only 46th in 2008.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11502938 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11502938)
http://www.mailman.columbia.edu/news/despite-high-spending-us-life-expectancy-continues-fall-behind-other-countries (http://www.mailman.columbia.edu/news/despite-high-spending-us-life-expectancy-continues-fall-behind-other-countries)
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.2010.0073v1#B2 (http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.2010.0073v1#B2)