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Breakpoint

Killing to Save Money

Breakpoint

Colson Center

News, Religion & Spirituality, News Commentary, Christianity

4.82.8K Ratings

🗓️ 19 September 2022

⏱️ 1 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Anytime that doctor-assisted death is legalized, what begins as a so-called "right" to die soon devolves into a duty to die. For example, defenders of Canada's expansive policy of Medical Aid in Dying frequently claim that its supposed safeguards will prevent a simple cost-benefit analysis when it comes to deciding who should live and who should die.  

However, the truth has slipped out a few times now. Back in 2017, the publicly funded Canadian Broadcasting Corporation cited a report that Medical Aid in Dying could result in "substantial savings across Canada's health-care system" to the tune of $136.8 million a year. Those "savings" happen when high-cost patients are put to death.  

Aaron Trachtenberg, author of the report, said it frankly: "In a resource-limited health care system, anytime we roll out a large intervention ….  cost has to be a part of that discussion. It's just the reality of working in a system of finite resources." 

And that's why decisions about life and death should never be put into "systems of finite resources." Putting a price tag on what is priceless cheapens it. And human lives are priceless.  

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

With a one-minute look at culture from a Christian worldview, I'm John Stone Street with the point.

0:04.8

Anytime that Dr. Assisted Death is legalized, what begins as a so-called right to die soon devolves into a duty to die.

0:11.2

For example, defenders of Canada's expansive policy of medical aid in dying frequently claim that the supposed safeguards will prevent a simple cost-benefit analysis when it comes to deciding

0:21.9

who should live and who should die. However, the truth slips out more than a few times now. Back in

0:26.8

2017, the publicly funded Canadian Broadcasting Corporation cited a report that medical aid in

0:32.6

dying could, quote, result in substantial savings across Canada's health care system, to the tune of 136.8

0:39.6

million a year. Those savings happen when high-cost patients are put to death. Aaron Trettenberg,

0:44.9

author of the report, said it frankly, quote, in a resource limited health care system,

0:48.8

anytime we roll out a large intervention, cost has to be part of that discussion. It's just the

0:53.4

reality of working in a system

0:54.9

of finite resources. And that's why decisions about life and death should never be put into systems

1:00.2

of finite resources. Putting a price tag on what's priceless only cheapens it. And human

1:05.5

lives are priceless. I'm John Stone Street.

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