What is your Life (QALY) Number?

[fastd]

Get ready for it; under the new health care plan, we know that some form of government rationing of health care services will be inevitable.

In most countries with socialized medicine (that's right, "socialized") including Britain, they use a life measurement called "QALY" (Quality Adjusted Life Year). It gives an individual a score between 0 (death) and 1 (perfect health). Health services get provided to those with higher scores; so the elderly and children, the disabled both mentally and physically get lower scores. The sweet spot is for those between 18 and 45 - they get most of the rationed medical care.

How's that for compassion for you?

[Excaliber]

You do know we all ready have Health Care rationing here in the US? Those without insurance simply don't get the level of care those with it do. The care varies still according to what kind of insurance you have. Pre-existing condition? Not covered, your going to die earlier than the guy in bed next to you with the same problem but he has insurance, you don't.

How's that for compassion for you?

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by fastd

It gives an individual a score between 0 (death) and 1 (perfect health). Health services get provided to those with higher scores;

Cool....kinda like Post Count.

[Ronbo]

Might be better if it was based on IQ. (Actually, it already is except for Washington and Hollywood)

[fastd]

The difference between the way the system currently is and what will be is that a board of government bureaucrats will be rationing health care services rather than the market place which rations based on ability to pay.

Yes, it is a shame that everyone is not covered now. Depending on where you read it, the number is currently around 30 million people. Even with the proposed legislation, the uncovered still will be 15 or so million in the year 2019. What should be happening is implementing strategies to make health care more widely available, and more cost effectively; not the currently contemplated health care bill such as it is. The passage of this bill is an ego-stroking exercise for a Obama and the Dems.

Diverting rationing from those who can't afford it to those who are old, young and disabled is definitely not my idea of progress or compassion...and in the process trampling the Constitution and bankrupting the country aren't desired outcomes.

Ex, I won't debate this with you, as debate with you is not my idea of fun. I just thought this board should know, if they don't already, that health care is likely to be rationed in ways they haven't heard of or thought of yet...

[Excaliber]

OK, no debate. I think the board should know that Health Care is all ready rationed and this new Health Care Reform will clear up the ambiguities of that system. Which is largely kept in the dark, not something anyone openly discusses, but it clearly exists. Let's bring it into the light, perhaps set some kind of bench mark, like a "Quality Adjusted Life Year" so we know what's really going on. Rather than deny treatment and hide the patient behind a closed door when no one is looking.

[dblbarrel]

There is going to be a lot of nice Cobras on the market, in a few years.