“Counties with more trees and shrubs spend less on Medicare, study finds”

🌴🌲🌳

“the study adds to a growing body of evidence linking green space – in particular, forested areas – to better health outcomes for those living nearby.”

“[…] counties with the lowest socioeconomic status appeared to benefit the most […] low-income communities are getting the biggest bang for their buck because they probably have the most to gain.”

https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/769404

Counties with more trees and shrubs spend less on Medicare, study finds

Medicare costs tend to be lower in counties with more forests and shrublands than in counties dominated by other types of land cover. The relationship persists even when accounting for economic, geographic or other factors that might independently influence health care costs, researchers report.

@alana Does this mean that people with the advantages that make them healthy, can afford to live in counties with greenery?

@bignose 🤔 interesting question! i don’t know the answer. it stands to reason that capitalism would financially reward people with advantages. but i don’t know what the distribution of those people (urban vs rural) is like.

i suppose the wealthy even have more than one home… a foot in each camp?