You do realize of course that the first time you ever made a public telephone call from your home or otherwise you lost every "constitutional" Liberty you thought you once had. Right?
There's a big difference between one's liberty to do or not do something, and forcing others to pay for it, especially with no limitations.
People die every day because health insurance companies (capitalists) delay or deny health benefits for those who actually pay their premiums... Does your heart bleed for these people?
Do you have health insurance? Or do you do you depend on medicaid? Or are you a personal payer? Either way you have no liberty. And you never have.
The problem isn't who lives or dies. The free market already decides that! The insured and affluent live. And the poor, uninsured die! Charity, notwithstanding. The problem is GOVERNMENT picking Winners and Losers! That we allow Government to become the ultimate arbiter over the Markets, Economy, and Life itself! This is hardcore Socialism bordering on Totalitarianism. The Government has picked winners (and losers) in banking, insurance, and the auto-sector based on the most corrupt of pretense - political clout and donor money. The new cap-and-trade Co2 legislation just expands Federal control over markets - at the heart of the bill, 85% of all CO2 "allowances" (read: carbon 'credits', free of charge) will be GRANTED BY POLITICAL COMMITTEE. Guess what happens if you're a Mom-and-Pop factory with no political slush fund the likes of DOW or Exxonn??? Or you happen to be a card-carrying Republican and your competitor down the road is a life-long Democrat who snuggled up to left-wing Administration??? No carbon credits for you. And the competition just ate your lunch = picking winners and losers. This is Hardcore Socialism, folks. Look at the proposed Federal Reserve overhaul bill : unilateral FED power to regulate ANY-AND-ALL INDUSTRIES, *and* takeover or Shutdown any Company deemed a "threat" to the "stability" of the financial system The Fed is a Privately-Owned Corporation whose board appointee's are elected by and act on behalf of......Private American Banks! So now JP Morgan, Citi Group and Bank of America are about to regulate every aspect of Americas economy - down to the last hot-dog stand and shoe-string factory - via their proxy holding Company.....the Federal Reserve!!! Our Government never had this totalitarian authority to seize and shutdown Private Enterprise. Soon, the Bankers will. And Bernacke said if we audit the Fed, markets and the dollar will crash!! Bailout#1 ring a bell?!?! What do you think will happen to America if Large Banks get to write the rules not just for themselves and their competition, BUT FOR EVERYONE?!??? CITI BANK DECIDES WHO LIVES. CITI BANK DECIDES WHO DIES. This is a new Form Of Government: Economic Tyranny OF, FOR AND BY THE BANKERS. Banker Combines are dissolving Government and openly Declaring their Rule Over America. This is Mussolini Fascism. This is it. America doesn't have 3 years left. This is it. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N3lqqXTohuo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N3lqqXTohuo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Have we all forgotten? _________________________________ Thomas Jefferson "... I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs...."
If the medicine is only being paid for by the patients, families, and doctors, then yes, that's correct. If it's getting taxpayer money, then the taxpayers ought to have the final say. You don't get to tell a financial donor how to spend their own money.
The reason so much money is spent at the end is because the Docs are afraid of being sued if they don't do everything possible. Get rid of Lawyers and costs are cut in half. John
IMO, you hit the key point that seems to be lacking in any of the legislative plans; ie, the patient needs to have some skin in the game. Seneca