"You live. Next. You die. Next..."

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

Go ahead and cherry pick it. I didn't say 'last' year. I said 'end of life'.

Is a $250,000 quintuple bypass 13 months before death simply not part of your predetermined point?

How about $100,000 hip replacements 18 months before death?

We gonna argue that the gobs of money doctors HAVE to spend at the very end are not going to be discussed by the government when they take over?

OK, I'll give you end-of-life as opposed to last year but that's even harder to prove since end-of-life begins at birth. The actual end is unpredictable so what's your cut off? Perhaps age 65 as a nice biologically arbitrary but fiscally critical age to consider anything beyond as end-of-life.

Do we start withdrawing options once someone becomes MEDICARE eligible?

You see, the attempt to influence consumer behaviors by setting arbitrary gates is fraught with futility. As long as Americans have 'choice' they can and most frequently do chose 'me' as opposed to 'you' or even 'mine.' So counselling is really an opportunity to put the aged and ill on notice that the 'death panel' will be making those decisions from here on out.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Lenny

OK, I'll give you end-of-life as opposed to last year but that's even harder to prove since end-of-life begins at birth. The actual end is unpredictable so what's your cut off? Perhaps age 65 as a nice biologically arbitrary but fiscally critical age to consider anything beyond as end-of-life.

Do we start withdrawing options once someone becomes MEDICARE eligible?

You see, the attempt to influence consumer behaviors by setting arbitrary gates is fraught with futility. As long as Americans have 'choice' they can and most frequently do chose 'me' as opposed to 'you' or even 'mine.' So counselling is really an opportunity to put the aged and ill on notice that the 'death panel' will be making those decisions from here on out.

Seems I have not been clear. This is NO arena for the government. Period.

[kwillia]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

Seems I have not been clear. This is NO arena for the government. Period.

100% agree.

[chernmax (Premo)]

As soon as Obama opened his mouth I was saying the same thing Joe Wilson said. No big deal...

[kwillia]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

Seems I have not been clear. This is NO arena for the government. Period.

On a side note, if the gov't is involved those worrying about the gov't trying to convince granny to off herself don't have much to worry about because by the time granny gets through the red tape she'll have outlived the "cut off age"...