Okay, then who DOES pay? This kind of treatment isn't free, and families who are able to pay for it out of pocket are few and far between. Unless there's some untapped source of charitable funds out there, or unless some religious or philantropic organization decides to take up the burden, that only leaves the taxpayer.
It's all well and good to say this is about the sanctity of life, but it's also about economics. That's just an immutable fact of life. Resources are finite, and they are going to be allocated one way or another.
I ask again. Who's supposed to pay for all these people on long term 24/7 care? I'm not trying to be argumentative about this, but I haven't heard anyone put forth a plan. If somebody out there has one, I'm certainly willing to listen.
"I ask again. Who's supposed to pay for all these people on long term 24/7 care? I'm not trying to be argumentative about this, but I haven't heard anyone put forth a plan. If somebody out there has one, I'm certainly willing to listen."
Good post people don't like to talk the economics. Because in our culture life is assumed to be above all else. So in the hypothetical sense you could impoversh 1000 people, to extend the life of one individual.
Of course even though culturally we think that way, as a practical matter we do make decisions which put economics above life. For example we use coal for generation because its cheaper.. yet thousands die early deaths because of the pollution from these plants. Of course millions of others have more enjoyable lives because of the energy. And in a way with the greater wealth of the nation, we are able to save and extend lives in other ways... like investing in medical technology.
Anyway so the costs of keeping these people who need 24/7 care is enormous. Shiavo wasn't even that bad.. 80k a year. But still we could pay for several full poor families to have shelter and food for that.
Others can be like 30k a month. And one figure I saw in a major news report was up to 1 million people are on feeding tubes today in America. The costs are incredible.. and not just for the government, but for the families who sell off all of their assets, the private companies who pick up the tab, and the general population who ends up paying more for loans as others go bankrupt.
Meanwhile nations like France who spends less then half we do on healthcare, but is considered to have the best healthcare system in the world.. they surely are just pulling the plug on people. At some point with increasing medical technology where we can keep almost anyone alive even if they have no chance of recovery.. We have to make a decision, or it will bankrupt us.
As for "families able to pay for it out of pocket...few and far between," all my grandparents died at home (my home) and we were not rich. I believe the families financially unable to care for a dying person are few and far between.