Survival Rate

Life Expectancy: The U.S. Falls Short, Despite High Spending

A new study from Columbia University finds that the reasons America is lagging other countries aren't the commonly cited obesity, smoking, traffic fatalities and homicide. Rather, the problem has been poor health care, or rather, a poor health care system.

Consumer Reports to Rate Heart Surgery Groups

Consumer Reports, well known for its objective rankings of consumer goods, will expand its ratings reach to cover surgical groups. Using data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the magazine will rate heart surgery groups based on their outcomes in bypass surgery.