Study ranks US first in overall health

Politicians love to claim that the United States has “the best healthcare system in the world,” though experts argue otherwise.

But a new index that purports to measure a nation’s prosperity — not just wealth, but health, personal freedom and other measures — concludes that lawmakers might be on to something. 

After crunching the World Bank’s world development indicators and survey data from the 2010 Gallup World Poll, the London-based nonprofit Legatum Institute concluded that the United States is 10th overall for prosperity — but first for health.

The index credits the nation's high level of spending on healthcare, as well as above average rates of immunization for infectious diseases and measles; the world's second lowest incidence of tuberculosis; good access to sanitation facilities; access to clean water; and a "high level of satisfaction with the beauty of the immediate environment."

A life expectancy of just 70 years, however, ranks 27th, while the nation ranks 36th for infant mortality. And the U.S. places 60th for its "comparatively high incidence of respiratory disease."

So, why did France, the leader in healthcare rankings by the World Health Organization because of its universal healthcare system and top-notch prevention efforts, end up in seventh place? 

Thirty percent of French people "report feeling worried during the previous day, well above the global average," the index reports. And despite the 35-hour work week, "a relatively low 67 percent reported being well-rested."