U.S. maternal death rate higher than Europe's average

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The United States has a sharply higher rate of women dying during or just after pregnancy than European countries, even some relatively poor countries such as Macedonia and Bosnia, according to the first estimates in five years on maternal deaths worldwide.

...

The United States has a far higher death rate than the European average, the report shows, with one in 4,800 U.S. women dying from complications of pregnancy or childbirth, the same as Belarus and just slightly better than Serbia's rate of one in 4,500.

...

The death rate among U.S. black women was nearly four times the rate found among non-Hispanic white women -- 34.7 deaths per 100,000 live births for blacks versus 9.3 per 100,000 live births for whites, the report said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071013/us_nm/...n_deaths_usa_dc

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Makes me glad I was born a man.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Let's hear it for the US' supreme health care system.

[Pooky 3,795]

And Sean Hannity still claims the US has the "best healthcare system in the world"

Which begs the question, "Mr Hannity, exactly which planet are you on?"

P

[Sinergy 3]

[jundp 191]

Probably has a great deal to do with the fact that many insurance companies won't pay for the mother to be in the hospital more than 1 day after birth. My doctor had to "recommend" I stay 3 days because I'd had a very difficult pregnancy, including early labor and other issues. That's just sad.

Especially when, once she gets out of the hospital, unless she's very lucky, she will have no more than 6 weeks paid maternity leave. In some cases, she only has maternity leave equal to her sick days, which is often only 10 days. It's a shame. Especially when there are countries that say a woman must quit work a month before her due date, and that offer subsidies to the woman (without any type of negative connation as here in the States) until she returns to her job. In some European countries, she has until the child's 3rd birthday to return full time to work and retain the same job.

[pedroh 21]

Probably has a great deal to do with the fact that many insurance companies won't pay for the mother to be in the hospital more than 1 day after birth. My doctor had to "recommend" I stay 3 days because I'd had a very difficult pregnancy, including early labor and other issues. That's just sad.

Especially when, once she gets out of the hospital, unless she's very lucky, she will have no more than 6 weeks paid maternity leave. In some cases, she only has maternity leave equal to her sick days, which is often only 10 days. It's a shame. Especially when there are countries that say a woman must quit work a month before her due date, and that offer subsidies to the woman (without any type of negative connation as here in the States) until she returns to her job. In some European countries, she has until the child's 3rd birthday to return full time to work and retain the same job.

my wife gets sick leave but the school system wont pay for those 6 weeks, fortunately she has a ton of sick days which she will use to get paid for that time she's not at school.. #######?! why not pay while on leave? also, she has to use my insurance, because hers treats her pregnancy as 'preexisting condition' and mine doesnt, mine covers it.. yeah. fukcin supreme health care coverage we have

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Probably has a great deal to do with the fact that many insurance companies won't pay for the mother to be in the hospital more than 1 day after birth. My doctor had to "recommend" I stay 3 days because I'd had a very difficult pregnancy, including early labor and other issues. That's just sad.

Especially when, once she gets out of the hospital, unless she's very lucky, she will have no more than 6 weeks paid maternity leave. In some cases, she only has maternity leave equal to her sick days, which is often only 10 days. It's a shame. Especially when there are countries that say a woman must quit work a month before her due date, and that offer subsidies to the woman (without any type of negative connation as here in the States) until she returns to her job. In some European countries, she has until the child's 3rd birthday to return full time to work and retain the same job.

my wife gets sick leave but the school system wont pay for those 6 weeks, fortunately she has a ton of sick days which she will use to get paid for that time she's not at school.. #######?! why not pay while on leave? also, she has to use my insurance, because hers treats her pregnancy as 'preexisting condition' and mine doesnt, mine covers it.. yeah. fukcin supreme health care coverage we have

Every woman can take up to 12 weeks of leave for the birth of a child. The FMLA says so. Regular leave seems to be 6 weeks for childbirth - which is outright laughable - but that can be extended to 12 weeks if the doctor deems necessary. Which is still laughable. The FMLA does not apply to folks employed in places with less that 50 employees and it does not address the issue of pay while on leave. Some family value oriented nation we are.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

And Sean Hannity still claims the US has the "best healthcare system in the world"

Which begs the question, "Mr Hannity, exactly which planet are you on?"

P

Well for him, or indeed any person who makes millions of dollars a year it probably is.

[JODO 2]

I cannot say that I am shocked.

[Caladan 19]

Probably has a great deal to do with the fact that many insurance companies won't pay for the mother to be in the hospital more than 1 day after birth. My doctor had to "recommend" I stay 3 days because I'd had a very difficult pregnancy, including early labor and other issues. That's just sad.

Especially when, once she gets out of the hospital, unless she's very lucky, she will have no more than 6 weeks paid maternity leave. In some cases, she only has maternity leave equal to her sick days, which is often only 10 days. It's a shame. Especially when there are countries that say a woman must quit work a month before her due date, and that offer subsidies to the woman (without any type of negative connation as here in the States) until she returns to her job. In some European countries, she has until the child's 3rd birthday to return full time to work and retain the same job.

I expect it's also due to lack of insurance. No insurance, no pre-natal visit, and thus no early treatment of any potential life-threatening complications. A friend of mine is doing his medical residency at a teaching hospital in downtown Atlanta and sees what happens to a baby born after his mother had gestational diabetes, or born at very young because his mother couldn't get her blood pressure controlled, and none of those things are easy on the mother.

[pedroh 21]

Probably has a great deal to do with the fact that many insurance companies won't pay for the mother to be in the hospital more than 1 day after birth. My doctor had to "recommend" I stay 3 days because I'd had a very difficult pregnancy, including early labor and other issues. That's just sad.

Especially when, once she gets out of the hospital, unless she's very lucky, she will have no more than 6 weeks paid maternity leave. In some cases, she only has maternity leave equal to her sick days, which is often only 10 days. It's a shame. Especially when there are countries that say a woman must quit work a month before her due date, and that offer subsidies to the woman (without any type of negative connation as here in the States) until she returns to her job. In some European countries, she has until the child's 3rd birthday to return full time to work and retain the same job.

my wife gets sick leave but the school system wont pay for those 6 weeks, fortunately she has a ton of sick days which she will use to get paid for that time she's not at school.. #######?! why not pay while on leave? also, she has to use my insurance, because hers treats her pregnancy as 'preexisting condition' and mine doesnt, mine covers it.. yeah. fukcin supreme health care coverage we have

Every woman can take up to 12 weeks of leave for the birth of a child. The FMLA says so. Regular leave seems to be 6 weeks for childbirth - which is outright laughable - but that can be extended to 12 weeks if the doctor deems necessary. Which is still laughable. The FMLA does not apply to folks employed in places with less that 50 employees and it does not address the issue of pay while on leave. Some family value oriented nation we are.

I know, it's ###### up.. how can it be 6 weeks no pay? that's ridiculous.. unless you've saved enough sick days to get paid, is still bad..

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Probably has a great deal to do with the fact that many insurance companies won't pay for the mother to be in the hospital more than 1 day after birth. My doctor had to "recommend" I stay 3 days because I'd had a very difficult pregnancy, including early labor and other issues. That's just sad.

Especially when, once she gets out of the hospital, unless she's very lucky, she will have no more than 6 weeks paid maternity leave. In some cases, she only has maternity leave equal to her sick days, which is often only 10 days. It's a shame. Especially when there are countries that say a woman must quit work a month before her due date, and that offer subsidies to the woman (without any type of negative connation as here in the States) until she returns to her job. In some European countries, she has until the child's 3rd birthday to return full time to work and retain the same job.

my wife gets sick leave but the school system wont pay for those 6 weeks, fortunately she has a ton of sick days which she will use to get paid for that time she's not at school.. #######?! why not pay while on leave? also, she has to use my insurance, because hers treats her pregnancy as 'preexisting condition' and mine doesnt, mine covers it.. yeah. fukcin supreme health care coverage we have

Every woman can take up to 12 weeks of leave for the birth of a child. The FMLA says so. Regular leave seems to be 6 weeks for childbirth - which is outright laughable - but that can be extended to 12 weeks if the doctor deems necessary. Which is still laughable. The FMLA does not apply to folks employed in places with less that 50 employees and it does not address the issue of pay while on leave. Some family value oriented nation we are.

I know, it's ###### up.. how can it be 6 weeks no pay? that's ridiculous.. unless you've saved enough sick days to get paid, is still bad..

Well, some places have STD plans - the other STD - that would pay a percentage of regular earnings for maternity leave. It's all still fcuked up for a nation that likes to portrait the image that family is of first and foremost importance.

[DeadPoolX 9]

And Sean Hannity still claims the US has the "best healthcare system in the world"

Which begs the question, "Mr Hannity, exactly which planet are you on?"

P

Well for him, or indeed any person who makes millions of dollars a year it probably is.

That's just it. Theoretically speaking, the current system in place for the United States is the best healthcare system in the world. The only catch is that you have to be able to afford it through your own means or by paying for insurance. If you can't do either, then it doesn't do you a whole lot of good (although emergency services are still available to you and there are free clinics around too).

[Caladan 19]

And Sean Hannity still claims the US has the "best healthcare system in the world"

Which begs the question, "Mr Hannity, exactly which planet are you on?"

P

Well for him, or indeed any person who makes millions of dollars a year it probably is.

That's just it. Theoretically speaking, the current system in place for the United States is the best healthcare system in the world. The only catch is that you have to be able to afford it through your own means or by paying for insurance. If you can't do either, then it doesn't do you a whole lot of good (although emergency services are still available to you and there are free clinics around too).

What makes something a best healthcare system surely isn't just measured by the quality that a few manage to pay for.

Isn't that a bit like saying 'China is the richest place in the world, if you're currently ruling' Or 'Ethiopia had a great food distribution system during the famine, because if you had money you could eat.'