katy wrote:


Marty
Does your medical coverage put age limits on some procedures like in
Great Britain? It is my understanding that in GB, if you are over
50, kidney transplant and I believe, dialysis, are not
available..also some heart treatments.


Not arbitrarily, sometimes out of necessity, my uncle had an aneurysm on
the anterior descending aorta, they wouldn't try to repair it as they
they thought the procedure itself would probably kill him, he was 82 at
the time.

Cheers
Marty

"Martin Baxter" wrote in message
...
katy wrote:


Marty
Does your medical coverage put age limits on some procedures like in
Great Britain? It is my understanding that in GB, if you are over
50, kidney transplant and I believe, dialysis, are not
available..also some heart treatments.


Not arbitrarily, sometimes out of necessity, my uncle had an aneurysm on
the anterior descending aorta, they wouldn't try to repair it as they
they thought the procedure itself would probably kill him, he was 82 at
the time.

I won't tell you that that explanation wasn't accurate or honest, but I'm
betting his age had as much or more to do with the response than his general
health and condition. It's called rationing.

Max

In article et,
Maxprop wrote:

"Martin Baxter" wrote in message
...
katy wrote:


Marty
Does your medical coverage put age limits on some procedures like in
Great Britain? It is my understanding that in GB, if you are over
50, kidney transplant and I believe, dialysis, are not
available..also some heart treatments.


Not arbitrarily, sometimes out of necessity, my uncle had an aneurysm on
the anterior descending aorta, they wouldn't try to repair it as they
they thought the procedure itself would probably kill him, he was 82 at
the time.

I won't tell you that that explanation wasn't accurate or honest, but I'm
betting his age had as much or more to do with the response than his general
health and condition. It's called rationing.

I see. When you can't afford it, it's not rationing. Right?

This topic makes for a *great* argument.

The USA rations on money. Canada arguably rations on age. There have
been suggestions put fwd that various treatments be denied people who
smoke, are clinically obese etc etc. I suspect it's going to happen.

Oz's idol in the last Aussie Fed election proposed giving priority in
public (ie taxpayer funded) hospital care to people over 75 in an
attempt to buy votes. I had a lotta fun asking why a 75+ y/o was a
better target for a limited resource than say a 5 y/o with a long
future in front of her.

PDW

"Peter Wiley" wrote
The USA rations on money. Canada arguably rations on age. ....

There'd be no need to ration if supply wa close to demand and the reason it is
not is because supply is artificially limited - in the USA by the MD's union,
just as other trade unions like electricians and plumbers did before the
do-it-yourself trend. Imagine what electricians might charge if you had to get
a prescription for a light bulb.

"Peter Wiley" wrote in message
. ..
In article et,
Maxprop wrote:


I won't tell you that that explanation wasn't accurate or honest, but I'm
betting his age had as much or more to do with the response than his
general
health and condition. It's called rationing.

I see. When you can't afford it, it's not rationing. Right?

I presumed something I shouldn't have--that your uncle lived in a place with
socialized medicine. Perhaps that was not the case. In socialized
medicine, health care is always rationed. I don't know if that answers your
question, because I'm not sure I understand what you're asking.

This topic makes for a *great* argument.

The USA rations on money. Canada arguably rations on age. There have
been suggestions put fwd that various treatments be denied people who
smoke, are clinically obese etc etc. I suspect it's going to happen.

Not here. The discrimination lawsuits would clog the legal system worse
than it already is.


Oz's idol in the last Aussie Fed election proposed giving priority in
public (ie taxpayer funded) hospital care to people over 75 in an
attempt to buy votes. I had a lotta fun asking why a 75+ y/o was a
better target for a limited resource than say a 5 y/o with a long
future in front of her.

The answer: politics. But you already knew that.

Max