I took a healthcare economics class in undergrad, and the instructor repeatedly said that 2/3 of a person’s lifetime spending on healthcare will take place the last 2 months of their life.

Oh man, so sorry to hear that.

It will take time and we will eventually get there. The current state is not only horrific and inhumane for everyone involved in it but it is also ridiculously expensive. I actually think the 25% estimate Sam mentioned is low. My colleague has been in the forefront of this movement.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolynmcclanahan/2015/02/04/how-to-ensure-quality-at-the-end-of-life/#619a126831e5

My first wife died, in my arms, of breast cancer in 2001 at the age of 48. From diagnosis to death was a total of 9 months, 11 days — and a cost of close to $500k, an obscene amount of money for what they were doing. It always felt like they were just running up the tab with not much concern about outcomes.

My sweetest dream is that someday hospice care will evolve into a death with dignity program. NO ONE should ever suffer through the kind of misery my late wife experienced.

Pass the kleenex, por favor…

You’re on a good cause here. I have read that on average 25% of the costs incurred by Medicare are spent in the last three months of life. I have friends who are now undertaking wildly expensive procedures that have little chance of success.

We need to offer and accept an alternative.

Waiting for his winning speech again lol.

See there, I’m falling faster than Little Marco!

@ Sam: We all get the bill when the health system keeps someone alive making us all suffer. Not going to beat everyone up with it like the travel thought leader does about anti government & TSA rants 🙂 It’s a really great read imho.

@ Brenton: All this hardware…

@GringoLoco: See intro in this message. Beats me why this happens. Very frustrating. It’s not like I have done anything different at all. Pisses me off! Sorry.

Silver, like my hair…

Happy Sunday from the middle of the Western Hemisphere!