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On Wed, 25 May 2011 14:30:25 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 25 May 2011 13:07:43 -0400, Harryk
wrote:

On 5/25/11 12:56 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 25 May 2011 12:02:09 -0400,
wrote:

No one denies there is a problem. One problem is the program is
underfunded. Another is that the health care system is run for the
benefit of drug companies, insurance companies and for profit hospitals,
instead of for the benefit of the folks who live in this country. Both
problems can be fixed.

The problem nobody wants to touch is end of life care. As soon as you
get close, it becomes a "death panel'.
Most of the money Medicare spends, they spend to extend life a month
or two.

We just lost a friend who died from complications of meningitis. He
spent the last few months in a coma at a major hospital with all sorts
of effort and equipment brought into play. At the end he regained
consciousness, had all his faculties intact (he was a whiz of a math and
statistics professor) and then three days later, died

I can't even imagine what his hospital/medical bill was. He was only 50,
and I sure as hell would not want to decide whether to pull the plug on
such a guy.

Maybe that is a good reason to put this into the hands of doctors and
a heartless corporation. They will make a simple decision based on
likely outcome that a politician in this country could never make.
That is one thing that the other western democracies seem to do
better, and what gets them so much criticism here. (AKA rationing and
death panels)

The corporation is going to make a very simple decision based on cost.
Their answer will invariably be to pressure the doctor to pull the
plug by denying benefits. What we need is for the doctor to be free to
discuss the various options with the person/family and make a decision
without regard to cost. Most people don't want to extend pain,
suffering, and tend to opt for hospice and minimally invasive
treatments. As soon as money is introduced by a for-profit company,
the whole equation gets tilted away from human dignity.

You folks are the first ones to say insurance companies ration medical
care.

I agree. I would much rather see a more balanced approach to
rationing, which is surely already going on.

The situation in end of life care is also another symptom of younger
people not voting.

Maybe, but since they're not being affected as much as older people,
I'm not sure I see your point.