Should there be reasonable age limits for healthcare

[Teacher Terry]

Wow I don’t understand why the hospital did not let your dad decide. He should have sued the hospital and doctors. I wouldn’t think your brother had legal standing with your father being competent.

[mschrisgo2]

TT, lawsuits take years to resolve. My father knew he would not be here that long.

[iris lilies]

Wow I don’t understand why the hospital did not let your dad decide. He should have sued the hospital and doctors. I wouldn’t think your brother had legal standing with your father being competent.

My brother in respiratory therapy in a hospital says I could have all the DNR directives I want, but if DH stands in front of the treatment team and insists on action X for me (assuming I am comatose) they will likely pay attention to DH.

[iris lilies]

I apologize IL for sounding arrogant. I’m just thinking random thoughts about healthcare based on what I see around me. I did not mean to judge or offend. I should have worded that differently.

Right now healthcare is rationed. Even if you work many hours a week you have no guarantee of decent healthcare. Huge deductibles, unaffordable policies and many things not available makes for rationing. In that way politicians are indeed making life and death decisions for a portion of our population.

i am appalled when I have heard democrats defending providing healthcare for people illegally in this country when we are not taking care of our own citizens. Others may think that to be cruel, but we have a ridiculous homeless and lack of affordable healthcare for hard working tax paying Americans either by mandates, lack of them, and so on.


We are all looking at life through a different lens and experiences have further shaped our thinking.

All i I know is our current system is not good and needs to be improved.

After 10 years of repeal and replace I don’t see a replacement being offered. I have not seen any democrat proposals that make total sense, but at least they have some ideas.

Also, thanks for input on experiences in no DNR issues.

We pay way way too much for drugs. Insulin and epipens are prime examples. Those are not new life saving drugs but have been around for quite a while. A good portion of our insurance premiums go to big shiny buildings full of pencil pushers and bean counters. And reams of paperwork. Instead of direct patient care. Our system is broken. There has to be reasonable solutions.

no problem! All is well.

[Tybee]

I was told by my doctor, after I was resuscitated, and I said I did not want to be resuscitated again should it happen again that at my age (I was 48) they would have ignored my directive and resuscitated me against my instructions.

So I guess it works the other way--they will do unwanted medical procedures to you if you are below a certain age threshold.

[Yppej]

People have no idea what healthcare costs and if it's worth it. All day I have been on the phone trying to find out what out of pocket costs will be to see a specialist, recommended to me at my annual eye exam, for central serous retinopathy. As this is often a watch and wait condition I do not want to spend a lot on what may be nothing but observation. Despite a state law guaranteeing me the right to "advance disclosure of allowed amount or charge for admission, procedure or service" no one at multiple practices wants to tell me, not even the cost of the initial consult. We need pricing transparency so people are aware that the course of treatment with a less than 1% chance of success costs $500,000 or whatever the case is. Of course some will not care about costs but others will.

[pinkytoe]

My father was a doctor. After his cancer diagnosis, he made the decision not to undergo further treatment and died shortly thereafter. He had seen how harmful, costly and ultimately useless those treatments could be in terminal illnesses. One might get an extra few months but the side effects were horrible. It is such a personal decision but there is certainly way too much being spent on late in life conditions. I have put more than one doctor on the spot by asking "what would you do" or "what would you advise your wife to do" when confronted with various medical conditions. I think our present medical system is flawed in so many ways...not to mention the things that go wrong when we are advised to get certain preventive tests. Just this past weekend, a relative went in for a routine colonoscopy and ended up in intensive care with aspiration pneumonia from the anesthesia.

[ApatheticNoMore]

If there were age limits (which seems untested, don't think anywhere does that entirely), I can't imagine most people agreeing to them before at least 80, some might say 90. So 77 is unlikely to fall in there anyway, or at a certain point why have Medicare (existing Medicare) at all?

[Gardnr]

I believe the patient should have the right to decide. In the case of my father, who had a massive heart attack, he said NO to heart surgery. The hospital called my younger brother to tell him to bring the family to the hospital to say goodbye. Brother proceeded to threaten a lawsuit if they did not “fix his heart.” So they promptly wheeled him into surgery. He died 61 days later, fully recovered from heart surgery, but all of his other organs were worn out. He was discharged from the acute care hospital after 10 days, and spent the rest of his life in a nursing home. It was a horrible, demeaning, demoralizing existence. He refused to eat, so they tube fed him, again because my brother threatened. I truly believe the Patient should have the right to decide.

First, I am so sorry this was your Dad's experience.

Second, this is a PERFECT example of why a Living Will document is important. And a designee that is well versed by the patient in the exact desires as well, who can further support the Living Will wishes. And as well, it sounds like your Dad would have wanted and benefited from a DNR which seems appropriate for his health status.

[Gardnr]

Just this past weekend, a relative went in for a routine colonoscopy and ended up in intensive care with aspiration pneumonia from the anesthesia.

I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope the pneumonia clears up quickly!

I'm appalled that anesthesia was administered for a colonoscopy. A small amount of sedation to take the edge off is routine for this procedure.