Saturday, December 11, 2021

If assisted suicide is legalized, will vulnerable people be less protected

I can understand the case for legalizing assisted suicide. I can. But will suicide be put forward as the preferable option not to save those who are dying from suffering, but for the convenience of the rest of us? It is easy to imagine, for example, insurance companies refusing payment for end of life care because, well, you had the right to commit suicide, and if you don't avail yourself of that, we shouldn't have to make any more payments.

(My trust in insurance companies is extremely limited).

Margaret Battin did a study where she claimed that vulnerable persons are not at risk in assisted suicide. But not everyone is convinced.

3 comments:

Kevin said...

The vast majority of abortions are for no other reason than the convenience of the mother. The vast majority of the entertainment and corporate world support abortion. One entire political party shouts it. And at least half the population supports it.

You better believe that such a society would rather quickly get around to supporting assisted suicide for the convenience of the inconvenienced.

One Brow said...

Kevin,

If the state or insurance is paying for the care of the elderly, then no one is inconvenienced. I wish that were an option for fetuses.

Kevin said...

I agree with Victor that insurance companies would absolutely cut their costs in such a scenario, most likely by making the price so ludicrous as to discourage all but the wealthy from taking the option to continue treatment.

I just happen to extend that distrust to the government.