In a column, yesterday, in the LA Times, David Lazarus asks "do we really want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars extending the life of a person with a terminal illness?" "How much money and medical resources are too much when it comes to prolonging a doomed existence? Who decides when your time is up?"
Interestingly, Lazarus concludes that "this is a matter for medical experts, not insurance bean counters, to address. A doctor is in the best position to determine what's most appropriate for his or her patient."
I had rather thought that the overwhelming consensus was just the opposite. Physician practice patterns are quite strongly guided by the reimbursement incentives. So, too often, if it's paid for it will be bought -- whether it is wanted by the patient, whether it is beneficial for the patient.
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