HIV Aids - 'AIDS'. A NON ISSUE IN AMERICA

Author

'AIDS'. A NON ISSUE IN AMERICA

PaulKing

2005-02-12, 1:03 pm

A little reported fact is that AIDS is not among the fifteen leading causes
of
deaths for Americans. In annual death rates, AIDS lags behind motor
vehicle accidents, non-vehicular accidents and adverse events, flu and
pneumonia, diabetes, septicemia, Alzheimer's disease, and homicide. (43)

It is often reported that AIDS is the leading cause of death among
Americans aged 25 to 44.

This statement inspires great fear and concern until carefully examined.

Only two-tenths of one percent (0.2%) of persons in this age group die of
any cause each year, and among these, deaths from AIDS represent about
three one-hundredths of one percent (0.03%).
However, since AIDS constitutes the leading category for fatalities at
about 15% (85% of people within this age range die of other causes), it
is
possible to call AIDS the leading killer. (44)

For more information on the use of AIDS statistics, see Public Health,
Public Relations and AIDS on page 45.

Portraying AIDS as our biggest health threat gives AIDS funding priority
over problems that affect far greater numbers of Americans.

According to findings by the Institute of Medicine, NIH research
expenditures in 1996 averaged $1,160 for every American who died of heart
disease, $4,700 for each one who died of cancer, and more than $43,000
for
every death in a person diagnosed with AIDS. (45)

Gary Stein

2005-02-12, 1:03 pm

"PaulKing" <aimulti@aimultimedia.com> wrote in message
news:e4d0fa474d81e4b1f24accf7a732dd44@localhost.talkabouthealthnetwork.com...
>A little reported fact is that AIDS is not among the fifteen leading causes
> of
> deaths for Americans. In annual death rates, AIDS lags behind motor
> vehicle accidents, non-vehicular accidents and adverse events, flu and
> pneumonia, diabetes, septicemia, Alzheimer's disease, and homicide. (43)
>
> It is often reported that AIDS is the leading cause of death among
> Americans aged 25 to 44.
>
> This statement inspires great fear and concern until carefully examined.
>
> Only two-tenths of one percent (0.2%) of persons in this age group die of
> any cause each year, and among these, deaths from AIDS represent about
> three one-hundredths of one percent (0.03%).
> However, since AIDS constitutes the leading category for fatalities at
> about 15% (85% of people within this age range die of other causes), it
> is
> possible to call AIDS the leading killer. (44)

Well lets see according to the CDC in 2002 (9,033) people between 25 and 44
died due to AIDS and (358,854) in that age group have died from AIDS since
numbers were first recorded. Are we to assume that Paul thinks these are
insignificant numbers?
>
> For more information on the use of AIDS statistics, see Public Health,
> Public Relations and AIDS on page 45.
>
> Portraying AIDS as our biggest health threat gives AIDS funding priority
> over problems that affect far greater numbers of Americans.
>
> According to findings by the Institute of Medicine, NIH research
> expenditures in 1996 averaged $1,160 for every American who died of heart
> disease, $4,700 for each one who died of cancer, and more than $43,000
> for
> every death in a person diagnosed with AIDS. (45)

Please provide the reference data referred to by your (45) at the end of the
above paragraph. I doubt these numbers they seem incredibly low to me. In
that the $43,000 number could easily be generated by a one week hospital
stay or in some cases a single years worth of Anti-Viral medications. In
that a large percentage of those who suffer heart disease and cancer are
covered by Medicare I would say those numbers are extremely low as well for
basically the same reason as was the case for AIDS.

There is no easy way to compare government spending on individual diseases
in that one must account for spending on research, drug development, drug
approval, basic research, medications, and treatment. I will agree that the
US spends more on the treatment side for HIV/AIDS patients then it does for
other diseases and there are good reasons for that spending. As to the other
areas of government spending I don't think the case is as clear that
HIV/AIDS gets higher funding for R&D, Drug Development, or Basic Research
then do diseases such as Hart Disease, or Cancer.

But if one looks at the whole picture of health care in the US one should
not treat Government Spending as a Zero Sum game. If it can be shown (and it
has been) that health care is under-funded overall then that is the real
problem not how much is spent on one disease versus another. Our current
system cost sifts the cost of treating the uninsured via hospital emergency
room care to the insured via charging the insured higher fees for hospital
services. So as a nation we already subsidize health care for the poor we
are just doing it via the most inefficient method possible.

By forcing the uninsured into the single most expensive medical service
provider i.e. the hospital emergency room and then transferring those costs
onto the backs of the insured we spend 30% or higher more then a single
payer or single pool health care system would cost each individual American.
Thus for 30% less costs every American could get the same level of health
care provided by the average middle income persons insurance plan provides
with no rationing or waiting lists as seen in Canada and the UK.

Gary Stein
>

PaulKing

2005-02-12, 1:03 pm

Now it is 'blacks'. Everytime one group goes down they move attention to
another.

Poverty in the African American community is the REAL problem.

Racist B.S.

PaulKing

2005-02-12, 1:03 pm

In a five-state survey for the period 1992-1994,147 average annual Medicaid
expenditure for a person with AIDS was $22,836, as compared to $1954 for a
person with no chronic disease, and $12,678 for a person with high cost
diabetes

http://www.law.duke.edu/shell/cite....Gender+L.+&+Pol'y+193

I don't have current figures.

Death

2005-02-12, 1:03 pm

"PaulKing" <aimulti@aimultimedia.com> wrote in message
> Now it is 'blacks'. Everytime one group goes down they move attention to
> another.
>
> Poverty in the African American community is the REAL problem.
>
> Racist B.S.
>
You use the word "now" as if something was different before.
I showed where you omitted this well documented fact in that age group
several times.
What is it you are after? Politically correct, or truth ?

Never mind, silly question.