Eugene,
Thanks for taking the time to give us an insider's view. It's a bit frightening to hear that the you feel it's only a matter of time before the current system collapses under its weight but it's not difficult to believe.
I'd like to think that when I'm aged and nearly spent I'll be reluctant to take extraordinary steps to remain alive. I don't know what the percentage is but I've been told that a large amount of a person's lifetime medical costs are incurred in the final years of their lives.
My wife is an RN in an Alzheimers wing and tells me of patients who are 'full code', meaning that should they go into cardiac arrest or some other life threatening condition the staff is required to do everything possible to keep them alive. As our population ages and technology improves the ability to sustain life for a measure longer becomes a reality but a very expensive one.
Kevin g
