We've created a multitrillion-dollar edifice for dispensing the medical equivalent of lottery tickets - and have only the rudiments of a system to prepare patients for the near certainty that those tickets will not win. Hope is not a plan, but hope is our plan.
To fix India's healthcare scenario, what is most needed is 'systems thinking.' For far too long, India has followed a vertical approach in its health sector, which translated into disease-specific national programmes being set up.
Every state in America has an end of life directive or durable power of attorney provision. For the peace of mind of your children and your spouse as well as the comfort of knowing the government won't make these decisions, it's a very popular thing. Just not everybody's aware of it.
Have a living will if you don't want long-term life support. It makes the decision easier for the family.
My opinion has always been that when it comes to deciding where specialist centres should be located, whether they are regional or national specialities, it should be done on clinical grounds.
If only we could be old and sick while we're still young and healthy enough to put up with it!
In health care, you really need a balance of people who need health care today, tomorrow, and in the future.
Planning is the essence of good management and when it comes to health care we must allow states to plan for future needs. We need to cement this federal commitment to Alaskans so the state has the assurance that money vital for providing Medicaid health care will not just dry up and disappear.
The last decision I made was my health when I had a heart attack when I was 51.
The people have an incentive to spend wisely. So the health care savings accounts are such a good thing. It's such a good idea. And it's time for it.
The CBO does a great job on budget; they do a relatively poor job of what the coverage consequences of a healthcare plan are. Their ability - anybody's ability - to predict what human behavior is going to be, without looking at the entire construct, is difficult.
