This morning I took a stroll through some comparative health facts at statehealthfacts.org. Why? Because I was curious about the status quo in South Carolina that Senator Jim DeMint is so protective of.
After all, South Carolina simply must have the best of all healthcare situations, right? Why else would the man be so determined, so driven to stand up to the promise of increased health, quality of life and life expectancy for all Americans? Why, surely South Carolinians must already have superlative levels of healthcare!
Given Senator DeMint's well known views on women's health issues, I focused on the one area where surely the leadership of a good fundamentalist Christian like DeMint would have the most impact - prenatal and natal health care metrics, such as rate of premature births, low birthweight and infant mortality.
The thing is, for such a God fearing man with strong views on health care and such advocacy for newborn and unborn life...he isn't doing so well to help those innocents. Ditto for his close pals Lindsay Graham and Mark Sanford.
Oh, no. Not even close.
South Carolina - at the forefront of premature births
Apparently, abortion is wrong but de facto infanticide due to poor natal care is cool with Jim DeMint.
Preterm births as % of all births: 15.4% (5th); 12.8% nationwide
Now, a frequent, quietly shared accommodation with the facts among Republicans is that poor health statistcs in their core states is a function of coexistence with poor, unhealthy persons who don't usually vote Republican. Read - minorities. So let's break this out by race:
% Premies, non-Hispanic whites: 13.0% (9th); 11.7% nationwide
% Premies, non-Hispanic blacks: 20.4% (5th); 18.5% nationwide
% Premies, Hispanics: 12.8% (21st); 12.2% nationwide
Maybe it's just me but even on the Republican closet-racist standard (only healthcare metrics for non-Hispanic whites matter to GOPers), this rate of premature childbirth is indefensible.
South Carolina - cutting edge on low birthweight, as well
Low birthweight as % of all births: 10.1% (5th); 8.3% nationwide
Low birthweight, non-Hispanic whites: 7.8% (10th); 7.3% nationwide
Low birthweight, non-Hispanic blacks: 15.1% (7th); 14% nationwide
Low birthweight, Hispanics: 6.4% (34th); 7% nationwide
Low birthweight is closely tracked for a reason; it is associated with a wide range of persistent, sometimes lifelong health impairments. That means higher long-term healthcare costs to consumers and producers alike. It is also an unnecessary and avoidable impairment, driven in no small measure by access to prenatal care.
South Carolina - among the best at keeping expecting mothers out of doctors' offices
% of all mothers beginning prenatal care in 1st trimester: 66.7% (50th - only TX is worse); 83.2% nationwide
% of mothers with prenatal care, non-Hispanic whites: 74.1% (49th - only WA and TX worse); 88.1% nationwide
% of mothers with prenatal care, non-Hispanic blacks: 60.9% (43rd); 76.1% nationwide
% of mothers with prenatal care, Hispanics: 45.2% (50th - only TN worse); 77.3% nationwide
These statistics need no commentary at all.
South Carolina - saving private healthcare.. but not your babies
Infant death rate, per 1,000 live births, all: 9.0 (4th); 6.9 nationwide - SC is about even with Chile or Guadeloupe or twice the death rate for babies born in Denmark
Infant death rate, non-Hispanic whites: 6.4 (14th); 15.7 nationwide - SC is about even with Cuba or twice the mortality of newborns in Japan
Infant death rate, non-Hispanic blacks: 14.2 (14th); 13.6 nationwide - SC is par for many countries of the Lesser Antilles (St. Lucia, Grenada) or twice the rate in South Korea
Infant death rate, Hispanics: 7.3 (8th); 5.6 nationwide - SC is about even with Cyprus or twice the rate in Finland
This is the status quo that South Carolina Republicans like Lindsay Graham, Jim DeMint and their close associate Mark Sanford defend.
Their statements and values are in absolute accord. They are pro-life ... so long as you pay it on your own dime. They are racially unbiased - all demographics (even whites) have ample and effectively equal opportunity to mourn the deaths of unborn and newborn babies under the system of healthcare that these Republican men so ardently defend on behalf of all South Carolinians.
Perhaps it's time someone asked Senator DeMint what sacrifices he's asking of his constituents to keep a healthcare system that only works for wealthy powerful Republicans like himself and Mark Sanford.