Where Do You Stand?

Sometimes, it is good to sit back and ponder the state of things as they are, and consider the future. Specifically, here, I'd like to spend a little time in thought about medical technology and how it relates to our lives and longevity.

There is little doubt that we live in an age of miracles, both in the area of diagnosis and treatment. Doctors and technicians can look inside our bodies from every angle possible and dissect those views slice by slice with devices costing millions of dollars, and soon upstaged by yet more advanced devices in a rapid manner. Medications abound to treat or cure most of the ailments of mankind. Surgical treatments and methods advance at great speed and increased safety. It would be difficult to argue the advanced state of medical technology in which we live.

Yet, none of this comes without a cost, both to individuals and to society as a whole. Development of new drugs requires time, trained personnel, and lots and lots of cash. Medications themselves cost plenty, as anyone without a prescription card to assist in medication purchases will attest. A day in the hospital costs major bucks, and a month in a convalescent or nursing home is not bargain basement priced.

If you, or anyone you know has had occasion to hire in home health aides, the cost for just a week of care is staggering, and as much as many people on fixed incomes make in a month. The ongoing treatments and medications required to extend health, and ultimately, extend one's lifespan, have hefty price tags.

Without going into a debate about the whys and wherefores of the cost of medical care, perhaps we can just agree that staying alive, especially as one ages and begins to develop one or more chronic diseases, is an expensive proposition. Because of this, each of us needs to consider how that cost is going to be borne, first by ourselves, and then by society.

Are you willing to sell your home to finance quality care? How about that little nest egg? What do you consider to be a sufficient "rainy day" to crack open that egg and spend it on your health, your longevity? Will you feel guilty about spending your children's inheritance on your own good health? Or, do you feel you can make sufficient provisions to safeguard your home, your savings, your investments? If so, will you feel any compunction about utilizing state and federal monies to finance your healthcare? What are the responsibilities of each person to their family, to society as a whole?

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