[jacobush]

Mmm yeah I wonder.

UK: someone dies of cancer or whatever. Enters the statistics as cancer death. Drags down outcome.

USA: someone dies of cancer or whatever. Was poor. Gets buried. Cancer statistics unharmed.

[lostmsu]

You still have to report some cause of death.

[jacobush]

And how well does that work do you think? Given how many are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed before death, how much money and effort do you think is spent on the cause of death for some random, (literally) poor corpse?

Of course "some" reason will be logged.

[lostmsu]

You were implying, that sloppiness leads to reduced cancer statistics, painting a better picture for the US. Well, if another cause of death is used instead, the picture will look worse for it. There is no escape.

[jacobush]

I think it might actually!

(Like obesity, heart failure, complex some-or-other, "natural causes", take your pick.)