News Story From the Not Too Distant Future

[swampfox]

The Congressional Budget Office has determined today that the costs of Medicare cannot be sustained and consequently it has recommended that a cost benefit analysis be used to ration medical services funded with public moneys. The HMO trade representative in Washington welcomed the news indicating that a majority of the population supports similar rationing that will have to take place outside the public sector in order to save the average American from the prohibitive costs of medical care that would result if babies with a poor prognosis for the future, all disabled and infirm persons being fed by artificial means and individuals being kept alive by extraordinary means, and terminal patients were treated for more than a miminal period that could be justified under a government cost benefit formula. A preliminary paper by the Congressional Budget Office indicates that treating the terminally ill, those who need to be fed by artificial means, those being kept alive by extraodinary means, those nonretirees whose disabilities result in not being able to work at all or for more than 1500 hours a year, and retirees whose disabilities cause an undue burden on their children (measured in part by how many work hours are lost as a consequence of that burden), would impose an unreasonable drain on the economy and consequently the lives of those in these suspect categories to start with at least will have to be mercifully sacrificed for the greater good of society. THe HMOs and insurance industry cheered the developments and indicated that this could be the start of a great and glorious and brave new world for Americans and America. Both government and private analysts and bioethicists indicate that in another decade, strong consideration will have to be given to including other categories in the suspect classes of people to be denied care as the projected costs of medical care resources continue to rise. Consumer groups have already come out in support of the proposed restrictions on care that will reduce costs to the average single parent American family. The editorial boards of the NY Times, the LA Times, and the Washington Post were generally favorable to the news, though they indicated certain exceptions could be carved out for members of certain groups.

[rastell]

Originally Posted by swampfox

The Congressional Budget Office has determined today that the costs of Medicare cannot be sustained and consequently it has recommended that a cost benefit analysis be used to ration medical services funded with public moneys. The HMO trade representative in Washington welcomed the news indicating that a majority of the population supports similar rationing that will have to take place outside the public sector in order to save the average American from the prohibitive costs of medical care that would result if babies with a poor prognosis for the future, all disabled and infirm persons being fed by artificial means and individuals being kept alive by extraordinary means, and terminal patients were treated for more than a miminal period that could be justified under a government cost benefit formula. A preliminary paper by the Congressional Budget Office indicates that treating the terminally ill, those who need to be fed by artificial means, those being kept alive by extraodinary means, those nonretirees whose disabilities result in not being able to work at all or for more than 1500 hours a year, and retirees whose disabilities cause an undue burden on their children (measured in part by how many work hours are lost as a consequence of that burden), would impose an unreasonable drain on the economy and consequently the lives of those in these suspect categories to start with at least will have to be mercifully sacrificed for the greater good of society. THe HMOs and insurance industry cheered the developments and indicated that this could be the start of a great and glorious and brave new world for Americans and America. Both government and private analysts and bioethicists indicate that in another decade, strong consideration will have to be given to including other categories in the suspect classes of people to be denied care as the projected costs of medical care resources continue to rise. Consumer groups have already come out in support of the proposed restrictions on care that will reduce costs to the average single parent American family. The editorial boards of the NY Times, the LA Times, and the Washington Post were generally favorable to the news, though they indicated certain exceptions could be carved out for members of certain groups.

There is nothing here that could not happen.

God has given us some of the noblest causes ever fought. (for life and family) Let us begin!

[Lisa4Catholics]

You are right swampfox,we have been reduced to commodities,this is already being done with people being encouraged to starve people to death in their own family,who are in Terris shape.We have a fight ahead.God Bless