This is a tough one… Medicare is currently projected to run out of money by 2036, a mere dozen years from now.
It is estimated that fully 25% of Medicare expenditures occur in the final year of beneficiaries lives, and of this, the vast majority in the final month of life. (Hogan, C et. al., “Medicare Beneficiaries’ Costs Of Care In The Last Year Of Life”, Health Affairs, 20;4). This percentage hasn’t really changed much in the last 20 years, which in and of itself is concerning given increases in lifespan and health span; one would expect the percentage to be decreasing.
Most people, when faced with the prospect of a loved one dying, want absolutely everything done to save or prolong life. This is entirely understandable. I’d want everything possible done for my 87 year old mother if she needs it. However, the fulfillment of this desire is becoming increasingly untenable and unsustainable.
Some type of policy will eventually (soon) need to be implemented, to make the hard choices necessary. What that policy should look like is anyone’s guess, and will not be very popular. But sometimes, unpopular things need to be done for the greater good of society.