Written by Timothy See Wen Hao
*This post was deleted by someone but luckily I retrieved this copy from the cache.In my previous post, I have discussed the possible implications that might arise from the legalisation of euthanasia in general and the difficulties in determining who should be allowed to be euthanised. It is important for us to fully understand the negative impacts of allowing people to opt for euthanasia but like many other issues, there are tangible benefits and positive outcomes of it.
Palliative care is a popular form of healthcare where patients, both with curable diseases and terminal illnesses, are provided a form of relieve and prevention from suffering. It covers a large spectrum of care, namely physical, emotional, social and spiritual aid that is crucial for patients suffering from an illness. It is not a treatment for the illness itself and the goal is to improve the quality of life for the patient during the course of the illness until full recovery or the death of the patient. This is not to be confused with hospice care where patients are those with terminal illnesses and generally have less than 6 months to live. However, hospice care similarly aims to improve the quality of life of the patients.
Many have argued that with the wide availability of hospice and palliative care, euthanasia is not required at all and that it is very much an inferior choice. I do not seek to argue that one is better than the other as I fully agree they palliative care is a very important and crucial component of treatment for a patient suffering from a severe illness, terminal or not. However, I do want to bring forth the possible cost savings and reduction in emotional trauma to both the patient and the people around him/her with euthanasia.
Euthanasia allows the patient to determine and choose the moment he/she wishes to seek an end to life and the suffering he/she is undergoing. With a foreseeable end, it allows the patient to in a sense, have control over his life instead of having it end abruptly on a undetermined estimation of date and time. It allows the patient to die in a tranquil setting in the company of family and friends, properly with dignity instead of through suffering and pain of the illness. It offers a setting where a the patient and his loved ones can bid farewell instead of the uncertainty of the patient's death.[1] In this case, it will be extremely cruel to deny the patient an opportunity to make a proper closure to his/her life, both for the sake of the patient and his/her family's interest.
Engaging in palliative care can be financially taxing on the patient's family and the nation's healthcare resource. In 2009, Medicare in the United States chalked up US$55 billion in healthcare bills for terminally ill patients in their last 2 months of life.[2] On top of that, an article on CNN stated that "the out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare recipients during the five years before their death averaged about $39,000 for individuals, $51,000 for couples, and up to $66,000 for people with long-term illnesses...".[3] It is undeniable that palliative care and end-of-life healthcare costs are heavy on the state and individuals. Despite such heavy expenditure on trying to improve the quality of life of those who are terminally ill, the tangible benefits are minimal at best for most of the patients. I am not arguing that they are a burden to the society but we must take into consideration that many of these patients have questioned whether it is better off for everyone should they have the option of physician-assisted suicide. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the USD$3000 of PAS is a cheaper option as compared to palliative care.
[1] What is the Great Benefit of Legalizing Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide?, Ezekiel J. Emanuel. Ethics, Vol. 109, No.3, pp. 629-642. April 1999. The University of Chicago Press.
[2] The cost of keeping the terminally ill alive, Richard Meyer. kevidMD.com. Retrieved from http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/12/cost-keeping-terminally-ill-alive.html
[3] Cutting the high cost of end-of-life care, Penelope Wang. CNNmoney. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2012/12/11/pf/end-of-life-care-duplicate-2.moneymag/index.html
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