Transcript Longevity depends upon the economy and health care. Part III Paul R Earl Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León San Nicolás, NL, Mexico.

Longevity depends upon
the economy and health
care. Part III
Paul R Earl
Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León
San Nicolás, NL, Mexico
High Gross Domestic Product (GDP) seem to be
the major indicator of comfortable longevity.
Problems of overpopulation, rural poverty and
infectious diseases in Africa, Asia, and Central
and South America are underlined by poor life
expectancies and high birth rates. The
strategies involving private and public
pensions, health insurance and other
investments in longevity are of course outside
the thinking pattern of true poverty just as
normal life itself is outside of the AIDS tragedy
of Africa.
From economics to evolutionary game
theory (EGT)
Read "Evolutionary Theories of Aging and
Longevity" by Gavrilov & Gavrilova, 2002 and
see http://longevity-science.org.
See "The quantity and quality of life and the
evolution of world inequality by Becker,
Philipson & Soares, 2003 and read
http://www.nber.org/papers/w9765.
Much can be debated !
EGT
Evolutionary game theory (EGT) was developed
by Fisher (1930), Lewonton (1961) and Maynard
Smith (1920-2004, evolutionarily stable strategy,
1972, in his game theory book of 1982) and The
Logic of Animal Conflict by Maynard Smith &
Price that appeared in 1973.
The first explicit application to evolutionary
biology was by Lewontin in his Evolution and
the Theory of Games. To find textbooks, see
Bogers, J Ecol Surveys: 237-250, 2001.
Much on longevity is opinion rather than
fact, and real facts are hard to come by
Western fertility (F) for over 2 centuries has
dropped almost linearly as longevity (L)
lengthens, it being part of the gigantic
Western socioeconomic transition.
F = a - bLlnL is an example. There is nothing
causative in these variables that are just
members of a trend. Redundancy among
variables can imply a common origin. Still,
the severe losses caused by AIDS in Africa
are an entirely different story.
Height and mortality have changed in a very
short while
History, ecology, sociology and pediatrics blend
to then reflect on diet, wealth, quality of
housing, levels of pollution, disease and stress.
The final product can be height. Today--2006-Dutchmen, Norwegiand, Danes & Swedes
average 178-179 cm, whereas Americans &
Englishmen are 175 cm tall.
The Norwegian story told by Hans Waaler in
1984 holds that better height is better health.
Norwegian men of 55-59 years of 150-155 cm
had a mortality rate of double that of men of 185189 cm. Better wages means better height.
Japan wins !
The quality of life can be judged by longevity.
The life expectancy of Japanese women at about
85 years is the best in the world.
Other developed nations such as Sweden are
long famous for their longevity. Then what can
be learnt from such data? What are the
important events--country by country--leading to
success?
Only 4 % of Japanese women and 2 % of men
have obesity. Here is a very very important
issue.
Height, weight and morbidity
Tallness has always been associated with
good health. In 1984, Hans Waaler found it
associated with morbidity in Norwegians.
This was fully exploited by Robert Fogel of
the Chicago school of economics in his
book The Escape from Hunger and
Premature Death, 1700 to 2100 reviewed in
2005 by Angus Deaton of Princeton.
Health Insurance
What profits or interest is the stock market
supplying for investments ? Does the cost of
operating private insurance exceed the
payments ?
Are you prepared for financial security later in
life ?
Can you work longer and save more ? Please
do this !
For some, the small proportion of the US GDP
invested in health insurance and retirement is
disappointing. For others, the growing elderly
population is a new menace instead of a new
market.
US Social Security and Medicare
The website www.socialsecurity.gov has all the
information you need like how to apply for
Social Security (SS) benefits. Medicare is at
www.medicare.gov.
Medicare is the US health insurance program for
people age 65 or older. Certain people younger
than age 65 can qualify for Medicare too,
including those who have disabilities. The
program helps greatly with the cost of health
care, but it does not cover all medical expenses,
nor the cost of most longterm care.
Medicaid is a state-run program that provides hospital
and medical coverage for people with low income and
few resources. Each of the 50 states has its own rules
about who is eligible and what is covered under
Medicaid. Some people qualify for both Medicare and
Medicaid.
Medigap is a Medicare supplement insurance policy.
The Original Medicare Plan doesn’t pay all of your
health care costs or cover prescription drugs.
Medigap should help cover extra health care costs.
A Medigap policy is a health insurance policy sold by
private insurance
companies. Costs that you must pay, like
coinsurance, copayments and deductibles are called
gaps in the Original Medicare Plan coverage.
The Canadian Pension Plan (CPP)
This better-written plan is chosen as an example
as it is clear and simple.
The CPP is a contributory, earnings-related social
insurance program. It ensures a measure of
protection to a contributor and his or her family
against the loss of income due to retirement,
disability and death.
There are 3 kinds of benefits: 1/ disability benefits
(which include benefits for disabled contributors
and benefits for their dependent children), 2/
retirement pension and 3/ survivor benefits (which
include the death benefit, the survivor's pension
and the children's benefit).
Canada has agreements with many countries, which
can help you get pensions or benefits from either
country. If you did not live or work long enough in
one of these countries to qualify, the time you spent
in the other country may be added to meet the
requirement.
Can I receive my CPP payments outside Canada?
Important ! Why ? The economies of many Latin
countries like El Salvador depends on remittances
from relatives in the US & Canada.
Yes, provided you meet all CPP eligibility conditions.
Payments are made anywhere in the world in the
local currency when applicable and, if not, in
Canadian dollars. If you live in the US and have your
payment deposited directly to a US bank, the funds
are automatically converted into US dollars.
Links
Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage
in the United States: 2003.
http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p60-226.pdf
US Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis-Longevity
http://olpa.od.nih.gov/hearings/108/session1/reports/
longevity.asp
US Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis--Aging
http://olpa.od.nih.gov/hearings/108/session1/reports/
aging.asp