Topic: Medically assisted deaths could save millions in health care spending: Report (Read 207 times)

Suicide rates trend upwards during times of economic crisis. Alcohol, substance abuse, guns, pills, chemicals, leaps off tall bridges and buildings are typical options in societies where euthanasia is illegal. Could it be better for the process to be painless and institutionalized, in contrast to alternatives?

The discussion on euthanasia reminds me of abortion. People will do it whether its legal or illegal, in which case might it be better to offer better safer and friendlier alternatives.

Years ago, someone I know tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide by taking pills. Luckily they received medical attention quickly and had their stomach pumped. Visiting them in the hospital, the doctor said a teenage girl died by taking pills only a few days earlier. They claimed that it was a very painful process as the organs shut down one by one, and a terrible way to die.

While euthanasia might not be a perfect solution, perhaps it might be more humane than some of the alternatives.

I am aware (since I have read some of your posts around) that you hold political views which go against to the political left in your country (I assume you are American).

But that example is a little bit extreme, considering USA citizens have the constitution to protect (in theory) their free speech and since you mentioned healthcare under the control of the government, would not be incompatible to your rights?

Try DL-phenylalanine for mental/psychological pain.     

From what I have learn personally by myself and others.
Suicide is about a desperate attempt to get rid of psychological pain. For example, there have been instances of people who had very good economical, political and social positions but they decided to kill themselves anyways.

While I agree a mismanagement of policies by a government can worsen the life of millions of people, mental illnesses will always exist not matter times are good or not.

When people commit suicide, it's always because they have talked themselves into the idea that suicide is the best option for their situation and circumstances. But now government wants to assist them in their decision just to save money? Often it is government that has made the situation so bad for people that they consider suicide in the first place.

I would recommend that anybody who assists even only one person to commit suicide - no matter what they call it - suicide himself/herself immediately... first.

Want to have kids?  Sorry, you said there were only 2 genders so we're going to sterilize you.  

I personally find medically assisted death a topic which is hard to stomach.
We all have read or heard about the right to live and right to have access to healthcare... but having the "right" to die would open several new and scary implications to the population of a country or the world.

If Death becomes a right and if we normalize it even further, what would be the limits?
If a young adult decides their life is not worth living anymore, would any kind of intervention to prevent it be considered illegal? against their rights?

Would crisis-lines be abolished?

I agree, even though the goal is for good things to reduce state budget spending, I personally don't understand the idea of medically assisted death, I think this is like slow killing, and of course, this violates human rights.

Euthanasia is a delicate matter that should be treated with care. I do not think it's moral to do that for economic reasons. Life must be preserved by all means. Do not attempt to put pressure on people (who probably have chance of surviving) due to economic reasons

Suicide rates trend upwards during times of economic crisis. Alcohol, substance abuse, guns, pills, chemicals, leaps off tall bridges and buildings are typical options in societies where euthanasia is illegal. Could it be better for the process to be painless and institutionalized, in contrast to alternatives?

I personally find medically assisted death a topic which is hard to stomach.

I personally find medically assisted death a topic which is hard to stomach.
We all have read or heard about the right to live and right to have access to healthcare... but having the "right" to die would open several new and scary implications to the population of a country or the world.

While euthanasia might not be a perfect solution, perhaps it might be more humane than some of the alternatives.

Across Canada, journal calculates up to $136.8 M in savings

New research suggests medically assisted dying could result in substantial savings across Canada's health-care system.

Doctor-assisted death could reduce annual health-care spending across the country by between $34.7 million and $136.8 million, according to a report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday.

The savings exceedingly outweigh the estimated $1.5 to $14.8 million in direct costs associated with implementing medically assisted dying.

"The take-away point is that there may be some upfront costs associated with offering medical assisted dying to Canadians, but there may also be a reduction in spending elsewhere in the system and therefore offering medical assistance in dying to Canadians will not cost the health care system anything extra," said Aaron Trachtenberg, an author of the report and a resident in internal medicine at the University of Calgary.

Cost has to be a part of the discussion

The researchers used numbers from the Netherlands and Belgium, where medically assisted death is legal, combined with Canadian spending data from Ontario. Trachtenberg stressed that means the work is theoretical and needs to be readdressed when Canada starts collecting large scale data at home.

After June 17, 2016 when Bill C-14 became law, provinces began rolling out their plans to deal with requests for doctor-assisted death.

Manitoba has set up a Medical Assistance in Dying team (MAID). More than 100 patients have contacted MAID, with 24 receiving medically assisted deaths as of Jan. 6.

"In a resource-limited health care system, anytime we roll out a large intervention there has to be a certain amount of planning and preparation and cost has to be a part of that discussion," Trachtenberg said, adding the provinces' differing plans could impact the cost structure of implementation.

"It's just the reality of working in a system of finite resources."

The report estimated that about one to four per cent of Canadians will die using physician-assisted death. Of those, 50 per cent will be between the ages of 60 and 80.

The report estimates a 50-50 split between men and women.

About 80 per cent of patients will have cancer and 60 per cent will have their lives shortened by one month while 40 per cent will have their lives shortened by one week.

End-of-life care has high costs in Canada

Health-care costs increase substantially among patients nearing the end of their life, Trachtenberg said.

"Canadians die in hospitals more often than, say, our counterparts in America or Europe and … we have a lack of palliative care services even though we are trying to improve that. And therefore people end up spending their final days in the hospital," he said.

"Hospital-based care costs the health care system more than a comprehensive palliative care system where we could help people achieve their goal of dying at home."

The report used Manitoba as an example, where 20 per cent of health care costs are attributable to patients within the six months before they die, despite their representing only one per cent of the population. Patients who choose medical assistance in dying may forego this resource-intensive period, the report said.

"Whenever we roll out a large-scale intervention there has to be a discussion around costs. But we do not suggest that costs should ever be considered at an individual level," Trachtenberg said.

"We are not suggesting that patients or providers consider costs when making this very personal and intimate decision to request or provide medical assistance in dying."

The report also emphasized that it is only a cost analysis and doesn't include the clinical effects on patients. Patient-level research will need to be done before true economic evaluation of medical assistance in dying in terms of cost-effectiveness and utility can be done, the report said.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/medically-assisted-death-could-save-millions-1.3947481