High school educated people die 8 years sooner than college educated people: David Brooks PBS Newshour Friday

This makes a lot of sense to me because I remember my own experiences trying to stay alive during my 40s. 

I had what the hospital called a panic attack which mimics a heart attack. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't walk or talk. So, I crawled along the floor out of bed to the bathtub to get in and comfort myself while I died (this is what I thought was happening then. I was about 45 years old then.

 But, I didn't have health insurance even though we owned two businesses simply because we couldn't afford to raise all our kids and buy health insurance too even with two businesses to support us at the time. 

Then I went to try to get ANY heart specialist to see me after I got out of the hospital and none would see me. Why?

They ONLY see people who have health insurance not anyone else.

So, what was I supposed to do in my early 40s. Die?

This is why so many people die young who didn't go to college.

Because the same discipline it takes to go through college and run a business it takes to survive after 40 or 50 for most people.

So, I almost died in my 40s and for sure I would have died with a heart virus at 50 if I hadn't gotten a divorce and remarry a lady with a master's degree in business and two bachelors degrees. She has kept me alive ever since and insisted I have health insurance full time since 1995 when we married.

But, without her I would have for sure been dead by 50.

However, I'm almost now 77 and I have my wife's knowledge and expertise about all things medical and her Uncle was a heart Specialist in North Carolina so she was much more knowledgeable about medical stuff than I was. I was like my father mostly into preventative medicine like diet and exercise rather than anything medical. So, I almost died in my 40s by 50 because I didn't understand Western Medicine or how it works or even have health insurance until 1995 when I was 47.

So yes. This is why people with only high school educations often die 8 years before college educated people. I understand this fully.

Even though I went to college for a total of 8 years studying different things until I was in my 40s I still wasn't medically knowledgeable to stay alive without my present wife's knowledge and wisdom and determination to keep me alive to maybe 90 or 100. 

Otherwise I would surely have died by my 40s or 50 at the latest.

I fully understand how serious all this is.

Get Health insurance if you want to stay alive past 40 or 50 otherwise if often is curtains either from going bankrupt trying to pay medical bills or you just drop dead because you don't understand what is happening to you at the time.

However, it is also true I was paying 1800 a month at age 64 for full health insurance.

Can most people afford to pay this? NO!

So, this is a problem as well that most everyone has to deal with if they want to stay alive past 40 or 50 ongoing