Health Care costs will come down when we quit spending a fortune on people that are going to be dead in six months anyway. Survivor's guilt, ain't it a bitch, but very profitable for the Doc's, lawyers and insurance companies.
Yes, I live in Norway, and there are alot of sick people here(or it might be thanks to the generous welfare system).
You might feel differently if you were the one getting the care or your mom or dad. Somehow I doubt you'd be saying," no, save the money for the illegal immigrants and their twelve kids." You do have a point, in that a lot of expensive care is used in the last month or so of elderly people's lives, but it is not always so easy to know if they will die or recover. I do draw the line at painful surgery and useless, CYA tests when the outcome is clear. What I find absolutely appalling is a UK-type system where expensive procedures are denied people on the grounds they are too old, etc, simply to save money.
Absolutely spot on. They want to drive insurance companies out of the business or make it too expensive for most people to be covered so that they clamor for a government system. I'm beginning to think the same mindset is at work in the gulf oil spill. Why else make it impossible for louisiana to protect its coast with barrier islands? Why impound barges sucking up oil for spurious paperwork violations? Who's in charge of this anyway? Say what youwant about Bush and Katrina, but at least he didn't impede the state's efforts.
I certainly don't support spending the money on illegals, but at some point the time comes where people are spending absurd amounts of money just to prolong life another month or two, especially in the 80+ crowd. That's nut's in my book. Personally, I hope to have the courage of my convictions when it comes my time. I have no interest in hanging on just because I can still suck air. Quality of life has always been a priority for me. I rather be dead today than spend years in some nursing home, and I've visited those places. No thanks!
That's where the "have money" healthcare distribution model kicks in though, right? If they are wealthy, they can go elsewhere for expensive procedures, can't they? Just asking. Seems like the best of both worlds.
So you pay into a system your entire life for health care, but when you really need it you have to go somewhere else or pay for it yourself? No thanks. Sarah Palin nailed this early on. The government will be forced to set up boards of bureaucrats ("death panels") to decide who gets lifesaving yet expensive procedures. Wanna bet this will be handled any more honestly than FNM's accounting and bonus grants?
Well, it doesn't make sense that everyone is going to pay into the system their entire life at a level where everyone can get access to the most expensive procedures even if they're really old, particularly if everyone will not want that most extreme level. Well, unless everyone wants to pay that much. No, it's better that we all pay into a system for reasonable "minimum wage" of care, and if you think you want extra care, then "have money". You're reasonably covered if you've made peace with your mortality, but if you are scared of death and want that coupla extra weeks, then you can buy more time with your own money.