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Don't Celebrate the Healthcare Legislation Too Much...

1 Readers' Comments

Posted by: Bill N

04/23/2010

While I agree with your analogy on heart disease, I see the challenge of
dealing with fast-increasing costs as one of demand. As we (the
poplulation of all developed countries) are rapidly aging, the cost of
caring for the senior population is becoming a great financial burden.
More than half the money one spends in their lifetime is spent in the
last year. Furthermore, about 85% of all health spending is spent by
only 15% of patients, those with serious and often chronic diseases. At
some point we're going to have to devise an equitable way to determine
what services and technologies will be paid by the 85% of people whose
medical costs are minimal. In the not too distant future, we clearly
won't be able to afford our insatiable demand for health care. We may be
there now.

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