How Doctors Die: It’s Not Like the Rest of Us, But It Should Be

[jtuck004]

7. Seems to be a little swell of information telling these anecdotes about how

end of life medicine is a waste of money and painful. It seems to have started about the same time I began hearing about the
Republican Die-Early-so-it-will-be-Cheap-on-the-Rest-of-us medical plans and philosophies.

Interesting coincidence. Not wrong, or bad. Just interesting.

I don't necessarily disagree in the cases with the limits the author imposed, because they made good sense, especially if you can go live with a dr who is a good cook those last few months. But people seem to miss the things that make each case unique, so I have little doubt that stories like this feed the thinking of those who want to justify the denial of care to people who really could be helped. Kinda like Reagan's mythical "welfare queen".

A very big part of the problem is the interference of third parties such as insurance, law, and drug makers, and patients who still labor under the delusion that their treatment is between them and a doctor who is only their for the patient's best interests. That physician has multiple legal and governmental regulations, as well as restrictions and direction of insurance and pharma companies.


If we could get those out, perhaps we might find more of the humane treatment the article suggests is possible.