This Could Be Your Grandpa - Indirect Euthanasia Via Health Insurance?

 A sad story in Miami, Florida regarding health insurance was recently brought to my attention. It highlights the flaws inherent in both public and private health insurance plans and is an example of why healthcare reform is so important. A friend of mine has an ailing grandfather, named Benito Jimenez. Benito's daughter, Maria Conroy cares for him 24/7 and has taken charge of navigating the complexities of his insurance coverage. Her 85-year-old father has Medicare, but also has a Medicare Advantage administered by Humana. This would seem like an ideal compromise between the government and corporations, which would allow them to provide the best healthcare possible. Instead, it only brought Maria and her family one frustration after another.

Benito suffers from various conditions, but his health recently took a turn for the worse. He has developed anemia, which decreases the amount of healthy red blood cells. Severe anemia prevents your body from pumping oxygen everywhere it's needed, so it's obviously an urgent concern, especially for senior citizens. His doctors aren't sure where his internal bleeding is coming from, though Maria suspects that it's related to a previous stomach ulcer that was caused due to Benito taking a large combination of medications daily. The recommended test is an endoscopy, generally considered a simple and safe procedure (as opposed to a colonoscopy, which is more invasive). Unfortunately, possibly due to Benito's age, his gastroenterologist--part of his primary care doctor's "team"--refuses to perform it himself, despite being able and certified to do so--Maria feels that he is most likely scared of malpractice lawsuit. Maria begged him to allow her to sign a waiver removing his liability, but he refused to take the risk of doing it on an outpatient basis. That gastroenterologist further explained that he would be obligated to do any and all tests necessary to save Benito's life if he was in a hospital setting.