Terminally ill patients told their benefits may be cut

[golfguru]

"The government has clashed with disability campaigners and health charities after warning seriously ill patients that their benefits may be cut from next April if its welfare reform bill, which has not yet passed all its parliamentary stages, is enacted later this year."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/21/terminally-ill-told-benefits-cut?CMP=twt_gu

Terminally ill patients are the black hole of healthcare costs.
This is a very difficult situation, and no easy answers.

[tblue]

1. I hope they're not turning into us.

I wouldn't wish our health care system on anyone.

[LeftishBrit]

8. Some of our leaders are trying to!

[xchrom]

2. Compassionate conservatism - worse than animals

On either side of the pond.

[LeftishBrit]

7. Grrrr, yes, I agree!

[RC]

3. Terminally ill? Their gonna die anyway. Set'em adrift in the North Atlantic.

Wait a minute. We're all gonna die. Can we expect the same fate when the cost of our health care cuts too deep into our owners profits?

[golfguru]

4. Yes, although on surface it seems inhumane

It makes much sense in practicality. Why waste precious resources on someone who has terminal illness and especially if their quality of life is abysmal? Personally I will prefer that should I become terminally ill. Just give me enough pain killers and let me drift away in peace. No expensive procedures necessary to extend my life by a few weeks/days/hours.

[snagglepuss]

5. I can understand that however such a protocoal is being only proposed

for people who can't fund their own treatment. If it is decided that at x stage of a certain disease a non-wealthy person has treatment stopped than that should be the protocol across the board.

[LeftishBrit]

6. This isn't what the article is about

It's not about cuts in expensive medical procedures for the terminally ill. It's about cuts in invalidity benefit. This government is obsessed with cutting welfare in general, and sickness and disability benefits in particular, so as to force people back into work (never mind that there are ever-fewer JOBS available!) As such, they are making tough tests on people to see if they could work, and these are very simplistic: e.g. if someone can pick up a pencil and walk, however slowly, across the room they may be judged 'fit for work' even if they are in severe pain, mentally ill, or even dying!