Richhard Goldberg, "The cancer death panel app", 13 June 2014, New York Post
I received an email from Richard Doerflinger, Associate Director for Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). The email had a link (above) to an article that appeared in the New York Post. Apparently the American Society for Clinical Oncology is developing an app to ration new drugs for Cancer treatment. The app would judge the coarse of treatment by cost effectiveness more than benefit to the patient.
We knew this sort of thing was coming, dating back to the 1980s when Oregon had a scale for treating various diseases and conditions. It was not too long before they legalized assisted suicide. The diseased and disabled (like me) noticed that societal discussions of euthanasia and assisted suicide started in earnest about the same time state, provincial and national concerns began about health care costs.
According to the New York Post article, some insurers are ready to play the game of cost-benefit in deciding patient care. One insurer apparently "gives oncologists $350-per-month payments for each patient they limit to drugs the company has specified." The article further states that another insurer "has also endorsed bonuses for prescribing “cost-effective” treatments — which would discourage the use of innovations ... ." What if the innovations they discourage could save, prolong and improve quality of life for patients?Have we forfeited the sanctity of human life for the sanctity of the almighty dollar? It is an inevitable step from denial of expensive treatments to assisted death. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are cheap compassion.
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