We've all heard variations on the story before, older patients pushed into hospice care or given death drugs when they were ill, but not terminally ill. But this woman was by some accounts terminally ill, with cancer, and the drug that her doctor thought would save her cost $4000 a month.
But the Oregon HMO could have been far more tactful than its real life behavior- offering to spend $50 to help her commit suicide, while refusing to cover the therapy that would have allowed the former waitress to live.
On the other hand, Obama's grandmother got an expensive hip replacement, while terminally ill.
Where do you draw the line?
