> Dana wrote: > so let's just kill them all? Gruss, I don't think *anyone* is > advocating that. Are you? Really? >
Maybe I'm being unclear, but either you don't understand what I'm saying or I'm not seeing your solution. Lemme try again: For patients that require significant or "heroic" resources to stay alive, there is a question of how this care will be paid for in the coming years. This is because the US federal programs that now pick up this cost are currently underfunded and the percentage of the population likely to need this care is at the bottom of a "J" curve (soon will increase exponentially). Put another way, providing this health care today is currently stretching our finances to the limit, but shortly we will no longer be able to publicly fund it without a drastic increase in taxes or a major shift in our Gov'ts budget - both unlikely to happen. Many have termed this the "cruel economics" which is to say that at some point the US will start having to define who we treat and who we don't. -------------------------- To address your example of the crack dealer: 1.) He was only provided emergency stabilization care (which raises all of our health care costs BTW), and 2.) Had he slipped into a coma Medicaid would've been required to keep him alive. That program is currently underfunded and may go bankrupt unless drastic changes are made. ---------------------------- To address your "are you really advocating that?" question: I just might be. While I see a benefit in helping people, why should I pay for a crack dealer's health care? Or a smokers? Or someone who's obese? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| All-in-one: antivirus, antispam, firewall for your PC and PDA. Buy Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=60 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:152696 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
