Finite Health Care Resources Cutting Health Care

Finite Health Care Resources

Cutting health care costs is becoming a serious issue for the government and for medical corporations and patients throughout the U.S. today. There are several ways in which these costs can be cut, and one of those ways is to limit the life-extending care that is currently being provided to the elderly (Bond & Bond, 1994). This is not the same as limiting care that would improve their lives, but is only designed to limit the care that prolongs a life that already has little to no quality. However, it is not just the elderly who cost the country a great deal of money when it comes to medical care. Premature infants are also very expensive to keep alive, and an argument could be made that these infants should be allowed to expire, since they were not viable when they were born. It is a conundrum on both ends of the spectrum. Part of the issue has to do with the quality and cost of care, but another part of the issue has to do with the age of the person who is being considered for a lack of life- prolonging treatment.

Focusing on the elderly makes more sense for most arguments, because elderly people have lived a full life and have made their contributions to society. Once they have reached their "golden years," elderly people are not considered as "useful" from a societal standpoint (Bond & Bond, 1994; Saunders & Kastenbaum, 1997). While they may be deeply loved and appreciated by their family and friends, the fact remains that these individuals have gotten past the point of usefulness as it relates to having a full-time job and contributing to society financially. There are exceptions, of course, but this is true of most cases. Because these elderly people generally cost taxpayers more than they contribute, they become a financial drain on society when examined from a purely monetary sense (Saunders & Kastenbaum, 1997). That may seem cruel, because they are human beings who deserve a chance at the rest of their life. However, the cost of prolonging their life when the quality of life is no longer present is often seen as a waste of resources that could be used to help others who are much younger and who have a chance at many more years.

Aging is a process that is natural (Bond & Bond, 1994). It is not a personal thing and it happens to everyone. Some people do age much more gracefully than others, and they are better at avoiding the maladies that strike people who are of advanced age. While a person has a good quality of life, care should certainly be provided to keep that person in good health no matter his or her age. Eventually, though, health starts to decline as a person's age advances (Bond & Bond, 1994). At that point, does the person want to continue struggling to stay alive or does he or she simply want to let the natural process of death take over? Regardless of what a person believes comes next when death occurs, there will come a point where death will be inevitable and imminent. Some people who are elderly manage to stave off death for years by going to dialysis, taking multiple medications, being on oxygen, lying in bed unable to do other things, etc. Is that "life," however, or is that simply "existence"?