Dying by my Own Wishes

Medicare is the prime insurance provider of hospice care in the United States for people age 65 and over. Presently, aside from hospice care, no other third-party reimbursement is available to support non-traditional palliative care. It is important to bear in mind that the key element of the debate of legalizing euthanasia is to reduce the cost of health care. One danger of this is that euthanasia would be seen as a “convenient” solution to the heavy demands on care made by certain types of patients. The kind of humane impulses which have sustained the development of hospice medicine and care would be undermined because too many would think euthanasia is a cheaper and less personable demanding solution. With managed care, the quality of care is paramount. But that quality of care is compromised when cutting cost is a factor. Therefore, those patients requiring quality care are overshadowed by reduction of care (Smith 1997). Voluntary euthanasia will reduce the cost of health care but at a cost of a patient’s life. If a patient makes a decision to terminate its own life an advanced directive must be prepared. (Pak-times.com)

People who have a loved ones on long-term life support let the person suffer, they want to play god, and feel guilty, if they do disconnect. For example, on September 11, 2005, Haleigh Strickland was severely beaten by her stepfather; she was in a vegetative state. A day before they were going to pull the machines, she started to breath on her own, and move her eyes. Now Haleigh is in a rehabilitation center. She can eat, walk and do every day tasks. Doctors said it was a miracle because they do not have a medical answer for her recovery.

In my opinion, people who are terminally ill and live in a vegetative state do not have much of a life. Is it not better to end suffering and pain than to spend 25 years waiting for a miracle?