THE WALKING DEAD

Anyone over 65 will soon join an emerging sociological niche I call the "walking dead". legions of Americans are there now. Over 72 ? then you might as well turn in your blackberry fold your arms and roll over dead or at least pretend to be dead. The rush to cut health care cost in this most profitable of area proves that the politicians might consider the elderly expendable. The first place President Obama focused immediately to save on was the the so called "end of life care" and care for those over 65.. A drastic cut in health care for the elderly would pay for the reform. An immoral solution to a long standing problem. Insurance companies have for years exploited the sentiment and guilt of Families in America with sky high premiums for saving your life when you are least productive and have the value of used Ford Focus with high millage.

You have already been jettisoned into space by the banking sector. You will find it almost impossible to apply for a new low interest credit card or even a normal run of the mill card. Even your 825 FICA score that you thought would open the door to mortgages, car loans and credit does not matter. Even if you do have that super private medical coverage they will probably not pay for any life saving options to save your poor old soul in a timely manner.

This move towards institutionalizing the niche of the "walking dead" is fast approaching when healthcare Lobbyists and politicians on both sides of the aisle are allowed to "reform" health care. There was no doubt in my mind that once someone suggested cutting health care for the elderly everyone would jump on the bandwagon. The next shoe to fall will be denying care to illegal immigrants,

There is a good argument to look for savings in this area. However one must realize that it is the health providers who have focused on this area due to high profits and greed. Not replacing a knee or hip after the age of 65 and then keeping someone in intensive care for months after a massive heart attack at 85 does not balance out. Perhaps a great deal could be saved with end of life counseling. Most seniors would not want their families to spend time with an unresponsive vegetable. They probably would not want extreme measures to prolong their life when death would be a better choice.

This is a positive argument for enacting end of life counseling provisions in the new health care plan. But alas a media circus orchestrated by a brain dead politician has killed this as even a thought. Dropped like a hot potato.

Now that the focus is on the high cost of elderly care I would hope that Uncle Joe will not be denied a knee replacement or Auntie Florence will not get her heart pacer. After all Uncle Joe likes to kick a soccer ball around with his six nephews and Auntie Florence will continue to bake those delicious brownies that everyone in the family enjoys so much.