Why billionaires live longer

[Maine-ah]

The rich not only tend to live longer, but are healthier as well. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 23% of people below the poverty threshold, defined as "poor," are limited by chronic disease, whereas only 10% of "non-poor," those with an income 200% or greater than the poverty threshold, are. (snip)

Enough money can even make an otherwise dreary hospital stay that much more comfortable. A handful of the nation's top hospitals have "luxury" accommodations, an indulgence that must be, of course, paid for out-of-pocket. The rooms and suites in the 16th-floor Shapiro Pavilion at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, for example, are priced at $325 to $800 out-of-pocket. The 14 rooms feature bidets in all bathrooms, 300-thread-count sheets, kitchenettes, flat-screen TVs and pull-out couches for guests who want to spend the night. The unit has a gourmet chef and is even locked for higher security. Other hospitals such as Johns Hopkins, Massachusetts General and Cedars-Sinai, just to name a few, have similar luxury units.

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/invest/forbes/p114177.asp?GT1=6359

[HeeBGBz]

1. Luxury health care vs no health care

It's kind of obvious, isn't it?

[Pool Hall Ace]

2. Kitchenettes?

If you're well enough to tool around the kitchen, most likely aren't you well enough to be at home?

[Uris]

3. Makes sense

Makes me want to become a billionaire. They're cutting back on Social Security and Medicare. It won't be there if we need it.

[Sgent]

4. Back to what we said earlier

correlation is not causation.

Yes, the rich are healthier. The rich are also better educated, have a higher literacy rate, and have health insurance. They smoke less, tend to eat better, don't suffer from disabilities, etc.

So yes, the rich have better health, but to claim its just because they can afford "private care" instead of standard insurance, is stretching it.

[potatoe]

9. High income correlates pretty closely with high

intelligence. In the later years, smart people tend to be healthier. They are less impulsive, better at thinking about long term effects of behavior, and more disciplined in going about the lifelong, demanding job of maintaining their health. And, they do a better job of diagnosing their own symptoms, listening closely to advice, and acting accordingly. It all adds up over the course of a lifetime, and this is what is showing up in these statistics.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi Uris!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ps1074]

5. Three words

Standart of living

In the global picture americans live longer than ethiopians and ugandans but scandinavians live longer than americans. Why? Standart of living... It's not just health care but many many factors involved.

Think of bilionares as the scandinavians of USA and the lower class people as the ugandans of USA.

[applegrove]

6. Much less stress because they are usually boses. Great vacations.

Heavy investment in vacation time at a 'peace' place ... often in the wilderness.

Less chronic stress. More life options. Less catastrophic loss. Choices.

[ck4829]

8. I guess the wealthy would evaporate if they had to face the same...

service the rest of us got.

"The rooms and suites in the 16th-floor Shapiro Pavilion at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, for example, are priced at $325 to $800 out-of-pocket. The 14 rooms feature bidets in all bathrooms, 300-thread-count sheets, kitchenettes, flat-screen TVs and pull-out couches for guests who want to spend the night. The unit has a gourmet chef and is even locked for higher security. Other hospitals such as Johns Hopkins, Massachusetts General and Cedars-Sinai, just to name a few, have similar luxury units."

This is stupid, just plain idiotic. All those people from Hippocrates to Florence Nightingale are probably rolling in their graves because of this.