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geckosfeet

(9,644 posts)

6. At some point in our lives, we will all pass through that 5 percent needing intensive care.

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Thu Aug 2, 2012, 06:47 AM

Aug 2012

It is cyclical and as dependable as the sun in the morning. You will get sick. You may recover, you may die.

What is not as dependable is the availability of health care. With any luck you will be taken care and made comfortable of by professional health care workers, doctors and nurses.

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A comparatively small number of sick people account for most health care spending [View all] eridani Aug 2012 OP

Old news. Care in end-of-life situations is expensive. Think what it cost to keep Terry Schaivo .. Scuba Aug 2012 #1

When you slice up the age demographics, the same percentages hold eridani Aug 2012 #2

It's not necessarily the same people though. We take turns pnwmom Aug 2012 #14

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone Major Nikon Aug 2012 #3

Simplistic...most elderly and those who have serious illness can still function joeybee12 Aug 2012 #4

I did not mean to imply that "the costs are only used to keep them alive"... Scuba Aug 2012 #5

just shine up the crystal ball, and cull the losers? mopinko Aug 2012 #10

I'm not into death panels. I would promote hospice care among other things... Scuba Aug 2012 #11

DNR does not mean Do Not Treat eilen Aug 2012 #16

People with terminal illnesses who choose hospice care over eridani Aug 2012 #17

The capitalist solution: let the elderly die Zalatix Aug 2012 #7

Actually, it didn't really cost that much compared to ICU costs. eilen Aug 2012 #15

At some point in our lives, we will all pass through that 5 percent needing intensive care. geckosfeet Aug 2012 #6

Not really doohnibor Aug 2012 #9

BS. Carlin had serious health problems - heart attack in 1978 related to his drug abuse. geckosfeet Aug 2012 #20

You "cherry picked" the example, with your sig line. doohnibor Aug 2012 #21

So - is it everyone who doesn't see it coming? geckosfeet Aug 2012 #22

Only one of my grandparents (and neither of my parents) eridani Aug 2012 #18

Take 1% times 80-90-100 years of life. Festivito Aug 2012 #8

The fact is, we have Universal Healthcare for those who use the most. The rest of us must pay up Romulox Aug 2012 #12

That is otherwise known as risk spreading eridani Aug 2012 #19

So we can call these heavy users the health care 1%? AngryAmish Aug 2012 #13