Newsweek's "The Case for Killing Granny"

Last week's issue of Newsweek magazine had several very interesting and informative articles about health care issues. As I was traveling for the last ten days, and not writing, I had a chance to do some reading. I thought the articles in that issue provided some insight and statistics that seem to have been overlooked in the popular rhetoric.

The front page feature, "The Case for Killing Granny," discussed aspects of end-of-life care. Get past the controversial title - the article itself is not particularly radical. The gist of the piece is that, as a culture, we fear death instead of embracing it as a natural part of the life cycle. That perspective has a dramatic effect on the steps some people choose to take to fight it. Compounding the issue is the fact that death is not something people want to discuss, particularly their own; thus, those close to death are generally ignorant of what the process will be like. As the Newsweek piece points out, this leads to one-third of annual Medicare expenditures going to chronically ill persons.

Go ahead and call me a cold-hearted bastard, but I do believe that with a change in perspective and some real discussion about what we can expect near the end of our days here on earth, we can not only solve some of the financial issues plaguing the U.S. health care system, but we can also bring some comfort and understanding to the issue of dying. As a person who, over the past year, has been face-to-face with mortality, I can tell you that there will never be a cure for death. No matter how far or fast we run, it will catch us all in time. Why not spend those sunset days of our lives enjoying what we can because we have knowledge and we have planned for what is to come?

See other readers' reactions to the article as well.

Newsweek also ran a piece last week comparing health care systems in other western nations - "No Country for Sick Men." I do not have quite the passionate reaction to this article, but I did find it very interesting. I will point out a theme to look for: challenging the idea that the quantity of health care available in the U.S. means that Americans receive the best quality health care. Particularly for the price. Newsweek claims that in a few years, twenty percent of the U.S. GDP will be spent on health care. One-fifth of the money paid for goods and services in the U.S. will be for health care expenses. Think about what that does to discretionary spending, particularly in the middle class. How will we ever make an economic recovery?

Read the articles.

A Soapbox Moment

Reading accounts of now former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's "Statement on the Current Health Care Debate," I am reminded of an issue that plagues the current political climate in the U.S. (and, personally, really really frustrates me). This post is not about the merits of health care reform, advocating for or against either side of the health care debate, or proving the validity of either side's claims.

Rather, this post is about honesty, integrity, ethics, responsibility. It is both an admonishment and a plea directed to our public figures in the media and in politics. We all, including yourselves, are granted a great freedom to speak our minds and publish our thoughts with little limit. However, that right must be exercised with integrity and responsibility. You must speak and write with a mind toward ethical responsibility and personal accountability. For politicians and legislators, it means carefully choosing words that express your opinions and accurately inform your constituency without misleading. For media persons, it means refusing to promote and encourage such behavior by latching onto firestorm lingo and exaggerated terminology. The public relies on each of you. We rely on you to formulate viable solutions. We rely on you to help educate us about the important debates engrossing our nation. Extreme behavior fulfills neither of these duties. Rather, such self-promoting conduct stands as a stubborn obstacle to any progress for the citizens of the United States.

In sum - Please debate. Please encourage honest and fruitful discussion of issues, great and small. Please listen. Please respond. But in doing all of these, please keep in mind the roles you occupy in our society and the members of that society that rely upon you. After all, you are here for our collective well being, not for your own ambitions.