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Obamacare & Life Expectancy

Since the time that most provisions of Obamacare were implemented in 2014, has the average U.S. life expectancy increased or decreased?

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Since 2014, average U.S. life expectancy has decreased by 0.3 years according to the latest data (2017). In contrast, life expectancy increased by an average of 0.5 years every three years since 1960. The recent drop is the largest three-year decline since World War II. Association does not prove causation, so this decrease cannot be objectively blamed on Obamacare. However, proponents of Obamacare routinely used such associations to promote the law and impugn the U.S. healthcare system. For example, the journal "Clinical Chemistry" reported in 2013: "The US, the world's wealthiest country, spends more per capita on healthcare than any other nation, yet has one of the lowest life expectancy rates in the developed world. Fortunately, we have the ability to leverage the preventive services now available with the passage of the ACA that are so crucial to improving healthcare outcomes while reducing healthcare expenditures in the US."



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