HKS Affiliated Authors

Excerpt

Social Status and Health: A Coming Issue for Physicians. David Cutler, April 17, 2013, Paper. "The rich are different from you and me. They have more money,” a cynic once noted. The modern-day version would add a deeply troubling observation: and they live longer too. The gap in life expectancy between the better off and the less well off is large. In 2006, a 25-year-old with a bachelor’s degree could expect to live about 9 years longer than a similar person who did not graduate high school (see figure below). To put this in perspective, on average, a lifetime of smoking reduces one’s life expectancy by only 7 years. Furthermore..." Link verified August 21, 2014