Response to Comment on Extending Life--Posner

Very fine comments; a few brief responses: I apologize for having misnamed Cutler's coauthor as Allison Brown rather than Allison Rosen. However, I don't apologize for having described her as an M.D. That was not denigration! It is entirely appropriate that an article on the economics of health care should be written by an interdisciplinary team consisting of an economist and two M.D.s. One commenter asked me whether I would have spent $300,000 on end of life medical care for my father. The answer is yes. But now ask me whether I would have spent that amount if it would have required me to take on heavy debt or give up my judgeship and got into private practice. The answer is that my father would not have wanted me to make that large a sacrifice merely to keep him alive for a few more months of a rather miserable existence because of his cascade of ailments and deficiencies. If I had been paying, however, I would have been vigilant to make sure I wasn't overpaying and I would have avoided painful repetitive tests. That is the difference between a system in which people pay for medical and a system in which the government pays. I do not favor coupling a reduction in Medicare benefits with imposing a ceiling on what rich people can spend out of their own wealth on medical care. There are three points. Because Medicare will not pay for highly experimental procedures and does not pay 100 percent of a person's medical bills, there is no doubt that rich people get on average better medical care than poor people. There really is no feasible way of equalizing medical expenditures across persons regardless of wealth. But second, the purpose of accumulating wealth is to be able to spend it; if you forbid people to spend it in their preferred ways, you are destroying wealth. Third, when scarce resources are not rationed by wealth, it doesn't mean that they are allocated more "fairly." Under any feasible system of nonprice rationing of medical care, one can be sure that big shots, people with connections, physicians' relatives, the big donors to hospitals, etc., will get the best care.

Comments

[Anonymous]

Good, thank you, wonderful
بنت مكه

[Anonymous]

بنت الزلفي

[Anonymous]

Give please. In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.
I am from Ecuador and bad know English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: "The hamburg junior police academy is a course that has been designed by the the junior police academy is designed for hamburg residents between grades."

THX :P, Morris.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, you always get to all new and used it
ÿ¥ÿßÿ™

دردشه

[Anonymous]

دردشة برق

دردشة الخليج

[Anonymous]

thanks to tell me that,i think thats so usefully----
tiffany
links london

[Anonymous]

Nice site. Very cool design! Useful information. Go on! Good Site.
I am from Croatia and now study English, tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "But they also agree that very few uprights can and so they also have a maxima vacuum cleaner to vacuum there."

Thanks 8-). Hepa canister vacuum cleaner.

[Anonymous]

yaya i like this world!.
I am from Israel and too bad know English, give true I wrote the following sentence: "Enhance your traditional bath decor with latoscana furniture line."

With best wishes :o, Valencia bathroom furniture.

[Anonymous]

This is my first time visiting this site and I found it very informational as a whole. I am so delighted in finding your website!.
I am from Finland and now teach English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "We have negotiated the lowest possible airfares with the world finest carriers on behalf of our travelers."

Regards :D How to find low airfares.

[Anonymous]

Very nice site. Will sure visit again.
I am from Singapore and now study English, give true I wrote the following sentence: "Trend analysis is one of the most important technical analysis."

Waiting for a reply ;-), Bithron.

[Anonymous]

شات الشلة

دردشة تعب قلبي

[Anonymous]

ÿ¥ÿßÿ™ ÿØŸÑÿπ

شات الود

[Anonymous]

شات حبي

شات الحب

[Anonymous]

tiffany jewellery
ed hardy

[Anonymous]

links of london
abercrombie and fitch

[Anonymous]

very thanks for article

[Anonymous]

Provides the best tiffany jewellery, including Necklaces, Pendants, Bracelets, Earrings,

Ringsat the lowest prices.Tiffany jewellery

is the best online United Kingdom jewelry stores where you can buy the cheapest Tiffany &

Co silver Our huge selection of
tiffany jewelry

[Anonymous]

good post,I think so!Abercrombie & Fitch on Sale, Hoodies, Jeans, T-Shirts, Pants, Polos

abercrombie and fitch abercrombie and

fitchcheap abercrombie fitch Abercrombie Men Tee abercrombie womens polos Abercrombie

& Fitch Men, women, and children's clothing and accessories edhardylife a famous ed hardy

store which sell directly ed hardy clothing, shoes, boots, swim suit and other cheap ed

hardy ed hardy cheap Ed Hardy ed hardy

clothing,Providing authentic Ed Hardy Clothing with competitive price and fast,secure

delivery.The famous brand by Don Ed Hardy 's Vintage Ed Hardy

[Anonymous]

Just love tiffany and ugg boots,thanks!!

[Anonymous]

rth