The Wall Street Journal-20080119-Our Health-Care Issues Seem too Tough to Face
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Our Health-Care Issues Seem too Tough to Face
The case of Nataline Sarkisyan, as with any case of terminal disease, is tragic ("A Medical Case Becomes Political," Page One, Jan. 7): A society with unlimited resources to dedicate to health care can pull all the stops and pay for any and all procedures and medications that may prolong life, if even for a few weeks. Unfortunately, that society or economy doesn't exist, even in the U.S., so rational medical decisions based on efficacy and cost must be made. Will John Edwards's plan, or any other universal health-care model proposed, really have the ability or intention for such coverage in these cases? Could his or others' universal health plans, with the inherent limits and restrictions, come close to providing even a fraction of what Nataline and others receive in the timely fashion currently enjoyed under our system? I believe that the general public and most politicians promoting these plans have no concept of the limitations of government-run universal care.
No politician will ever address one of the other major problems: limiting aggressive procedures and medications with limited efficacy, prolonging life at any cost in terminal illness in any age group. Nataline's case and many similar cases are perfect examples, but not in the way that Mr. Edwards intends.
Bruce Bray, M.D.
Spooner, Wis.
