It’s an interesting cooincidence that Mark Kelly and I were having a cerebral discussion on the cost of healthcare just last week… and lo and behold, this week there is an article in Christian Science Monitor about this very subject:
Everyone complains about the rising cost of healthcare… a recent New York Times letter-writer asserted, “a human right and a universal entitlement.” …
Sounds noble. But not everything that is highly desirable is a right. Most rights simply oblige us to respect one another’s freedoms; they do not oblige us to pay for others to exercise these freedoms. Respecting rights such as freedom of speech and of worship does not impose huge demands upon taxpayers …
Healthcare, although highly desirable, differs fundamentally from these rights. Because providing healthcare takes scarce resources, offering it free at the point of delivery would raise its cost and reduce its availability …
It’s ironic but true: Only by abandoning attempts to provide healthcare as a “right” that’s paid for largely by others will we enjoy surer access to it.
TRIAGE, I believe is the key to scarce health care resources. As harcsh as it may seem, it does not make sense to \’prolong\’ life when there\’s little chance of a quality existance. Far too often the emotional pressures we feel as relatives and loved ones age and sicken push us to make health care decisions that are not supportable in the long term. As the population in general ages, I foresee tough rationing decisions in the future.