Ezra Klein tweaks my proposal:
What if, to be eligible for Medicare, you had to give someone power of attorney and sign a living will? You could tell your attorney, and write in your will, that you want every possible measure employed to keep you alive. You could say cost is no object, and neither is pain or quality of life. You could make whatever choice, and offer whatever instructions, you want. You just have to do it. You have to make the decision.
Right now, of course, heroic measures are the default. The simple act of making that choice would cut costs, as I suspect many, many people would prefer something besides maximal treatment, and would ensure fewer people suffered needlessly because their health deteriorated before they made their wishes clear. And although Sarah Palin managed to rechristen medical counseling about end-of-life options “death panels,” I choose to believe that that sort of childishness isn’t inevitable and that this country can make adult decisions about adult problems.
Me too. Happy to endorse Ezra's proposal. As for Palin's rhetorical grenades: ask her how she would cut costs for healthcare.
The Dish 