Public welfare like healthcare all need funding from government. And government basic income derived from Individual and Corporate tax.

As such, a country population demographic plays an important role of a country income and future income.

A healthy country age demography will have nice pyramid-like shape. One of the most serious issue most developed world like Europe and Japan facing is the growing old age population and shrinking birth rate which will eventually form an upside pyramid shape. Country with too little working population will discourage any manufacturing/company setting up their business. Less people paying tax and shrinking manufacturing sector will increase government burden in providing public welfare and drive up deficit.

Before financial crisis, developed world found a good solution overcome their shrinking working population by going big in service sector especially financial line where you don’t need a big working class population and age is not the limit as knowledge of know-how is the key. Unfortunately, the bankers created a virtual wealth by creating all kind of CDS, multiplied the paper wealth by not triple but ten of thousand times with (sometime) no underlying. The world lost 40% of its wealth during financial crisis and most are from developed world due to her people and corporate highly exposed to stock market and all kind of derivative.

So, does America have positive age demography? Looking at USA 2007 chart, it looks positive however according to some data, much due to immigration which filled up the gap left over by American.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States

Most developed country like Europe and Japan (Canada not sure) facing huge challenge in maintaining current social welfare which drive up their deficit due to shrinking young population.

I have no right to comment US Healthcare reform. I would like to share my view on “relationship” between Healthcare and Age Demography.