Is this what single payer would get us ? Courts ordering life support machine turned off ? (how much, party)
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In the case being discussed here, the parents have raised the money. They have been forbidden to take their child out of the hospital. The hospital wants to make sure he dies there.
I'd like to see them try that with one of my kids.
I have a question for you and others who do not believe this child should have been allowed to die.
If you were in the same condition as this child, with no hope of recovery, would you want your family to spend their last dime and live their lives around keeping you alive?
I had an aunt who was in her upper 80s and she spent the last 18 months of her life in a hospital undergoing 6 surgeries. It didn`t take a doctor to realize that after her first surgery the only way she would leave the hospital was in a bag. My cousin told me that medical expenses for her were just shy of 2 million dollars. Her husband was in the Army Reserves for 40 years so all her expenses were paid by...guess who. Death panels vs. 18 months of suffering? It`s a tough call IMO.
I had an aunt who was in her upper 80s and she spent the last 18 months of her life in a hospital undergoing 6 surgeries. It didn`t take a doctor to realize that after her first surgery the only way she would leave the hospital was in a bag. My cousin told me that medical expenses for her were just shy of 2 million dollars. Her husband was in the Army Reserves for 40 years so all her expenses were paid by...guess who. Death panels vs. 18 months of suffering? It`s a tough call IMO.
Part of the issue here is the health care system knows what insurance will pay. Doctors have been know to 'patrol' nursing homes looking for 'ailments' medicare or medicaid will pay for such as cataract surgery. It did not matter if the people were 98 and a 'vegetable' and the surgery was essentially useless. The system knows they will get paid for it so they do.
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There are no death panels, this was a human rghts case and nothing to do with the healthcare system.
In countries such as the UK we have private healthcare as well as a state system and if you want to pay as you do in the US then you are generally perfectly entitled to do so and some jobs in the UK come with employer paid private health insurance and anyone is entitled to take out private health insurance if they so wish. The UK system generally offers decent healthcare to people who aren't fortunate enough to be wealthy, and to all members of society, as well as private healthcare for those that want it.
In the case being discussed here, the parents have raised the money. They have been forbidden to take their child out of the hospital. The hospital wants to make sure he dies there.
I'd like to see them try that with one of my kids.
“It was estimated that their chance for cure — cure, not just adding time — of about 50 percent in one case and 70 percent in the other case,†Dr. Callister said.
If one of those above were one of your kids, you'd do exactly what about it? Unplug them, grab them up and make a run for Mexico?
I have a question for you and others who do not believe this child should have been allowed to die.
If you were in the same condition as this child, with no hope of recovery, would you want your family to spend their last dime and live their lives around keeping you alive?
Excellent question for those opposed to the decision to consider.
In the case being discussed here, the parents have raised the money. They have been forbidden to take their child out of the hospital. The hospital wants to make sure he dies there.
I'd like to see them try that with one of my kids.
The hospital wants to make sure he stops suffering any longer. I understand why the parents want to try everything but the sad fact is that nothing will help this baby and the kindest and only right thing to do is to let him die peacefully with his mum and dad holding him which is what the hospital is letting happen and what the courts ordered.
I hope if I were ever in such a horrible situation I would have the courage to end my child's suffering even though it would hurt me to 'pull the plug' - I hope any loving parent would have that courage.
Part of the issue here is the health care system knows what insurance will pay. Doctors have been know to 'patrol' nursing homes looking for 'ailments' medicare or medicaid will pay for such as cataract surgery. It did not matter if the people were 98 and a 'vegetable' and the surgery was essentially useless. The system knows they will get paid for it so they do.
Of course fraud happens, but as a remote outlier. But this is ridiculous on several levels. Do you really think ophthalmologists do such things?
As an internist I was sued one time long ago by Medicare for engaging in a similar fraud. As the only medical specialist in town I consulted on a patient in the ICU for our urologist. He neglected to write the official order in the chart, and that created the problem. A few months later came the dunning letter. It was absurd to think that I would have the time and/or gumption to patrol the ICU looking for more work!
I had an aunt who was in her upper 80s and she spent the last 18 months of her life in a hospital undergoing 6 surgeries. It didn`t take a doctor to realize that after her first surgery the only way she would leave the hospital was in a bag. My cousin told me that medical expenses for her were just shy of 2 million dollars. Her husband was in the Army Reserves for 40 years so all her expenses were paid by...guess who. Death panels vs. 18 months of suffering? It`s a tough call IMO.
It is a call that needs to be made by the patient, along with the doc and family. A living will and common sense.
Back in the '70's when I started in medicine, most patients at or above the age of 70 understood that they were now medically 'old'. And when confronted with the need for very complex, risky and expensive medical care simply to prolong a poor quality of life, they would (and did) turn it down. Today due to medical advances that age is now pushing 85. After 80-85 it is much easier for patients and families to let go. I have encountered very few cases over the years where the patients or families life saving desires is beyond sensible. And as an internist I dealt with end of life planning daily, and patient deaths more often than weekly.
For the young, we still do much much more. And at times pushing the envelope of common sense. Has to be.
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