All quite true...

I am a coot and I actually agree with you to a certain extent.  I want a
new knee but I don't NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED a new knee because I an
retired.  If it is a case of waiting a year to get it scheduled at lower
cost I should WAIT.  Also I want to join the hemlock society because I
want to decide when I kick off. I will not be interested in a nursing
home.  An old folks home is OK but when you start talking actual nurses I
want it done with.

I have been over and over and over this deal and it comes out the same
way every time:  On a whole life basis the cost of medical care for the
average person is what it is. You should pay for YOUR care BEFORE you get
old and that is somewhat the way it is right now with medicare taxes.  It
is really no different than Social Security.  You pay in and at 65 you
get the benefits.  No reason why health care shouldn't be the same way
and in reality it IS that way. Believe me:  You WILL be old too and, as
you say, when you get old you are no longer productive. Only the
productive can pay.  Only they have something with which to pay.  You are
"saving" for your retirement as you pay the medicare taxes.  That is the
reality.

Sounds good to people at age 40 or so.  It loses its appeal thereafter
pretty fast.  Some of us actually worked all or lives so we could have
those "golden" years. And some of us served our country and have VA
medical care as part of the compensation for serving.  You pay for that
also because only the productive CAN pay.  Reality is what it is.

One reason that health care costs are increasing is because modern
medicine keeps people alive longer, and older people need more medical
care.  Most people don't have serious health problems until they are
in their 60s, after which they need LOTS of expensive care, from heart
surgery to hip replacements and so on.

Health care costs could be contained if the oldest (and most
expensive) patients were euthanized, or at least denying them
expensive treatments.  One year of health care for an older person
might cost as much as ten years for a younger person.  And since the
elderly are retired and do not contribute taxes to the national health
care system, they wind up being a serious drain on medical resources.

My solution would be to create HMO suicide clinics, where Americans
over 65 could choose from several cost-effective termination methods,
administered by a licensed Nurse Practitioner.

Whats interesting in this typical rightarded piece of Republican pig sh.t 
is that it starts right out telling us that a single payer system will
put a lid on the totally out of control and skyrocketing technological
rent seeking that is driving the costs of health care through the
stratosphere.

Research and development and clinical trials in health care should be
conducted in a world wide university grant system funded by GDP based
assessments of all nations.  At present the American middle class is
paying for virtually _ALL_ of the research, development, and clinical
trials of all the new medical technology.  And this is because of the US
patent system and the US enforcement of IP rights.

Welcome to reality, lying pigs.

A nice shredding of the statist lie, "gubmit
will lower health care costs":

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124597297859757163.html

--
RIch