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This will be unpopular... He was rejected from our universal healthcare system because of the astronomical costs of keeping a 96 year old man (with a life endi

This will be unpopular... He was rejected from our universal healthcare system because of the astronomical costs of keeping a 96 year old man (with a life ending disease) alive. Those costs exist under every system regardless of whether or not the customer sees those costs. This is not a defense of our "private" healthcare system. This is a defense of our public healthcare system. They made the rational decision to focus their resources on younger people with better chances of recovery. Dr. Lederman made the rational choice to sell his Nobel prize to extend his life. At least that option was available to him! The same can't be said for people like Charlie Gard.

IC4RUS 8y ago
This is a good point - and something ignored by some advocates of universal healthcare (I'm partial to the idea of universal healthcare, but would like to see more honest debate of the issue).
- extragood 8y ago
  Me too. I spend more time in hospitals than the average person my age due to a hereditary condition. I try very hard to stay well and do precisely what I'm told by medical professionals. Many people that I've met in the hospital do not. They're often older and should know better, but they'll hear "No foods or liquids", and sneak in beef jerky before surgery anyway. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Universal healthcare will need to cover all of these people who don't listen to medical advice, and will return because of it. From a private insurance or single payer insurance perspective there may not be a difference between the two. All I know is that I must have good medical insurance at all times, otherwise I will be screwed in so many ways.