National health care - Big brother chooses who lives

Doctors in the UK are asking the national health care system to deny surgery to the elderly, unhealthy, obese and smokers. Not all care; just the care that keep the patient alive.

Why? Because they can't afford to care for everyone. What did they promise? To care for everyone. "Care"? The government care? Like the IRS does.

The second part of most universal care plans is not allowing the patient to pay for his care with his own money! I don't think the UK does that. But Hillary's 1993 plan did. And many countries do.

The Telegraph UK:

Doctors are calling for NHS treatment to be withheld from patients who are too old or who lead unhealthy lives. Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly should be barred from receiving some operations, according to doctors, with most saying the health service cannot afford to provide free care to everyone.

... About one in 10 hospitals already deny some surgery to obese patients and smokers, with restrictions most common in hospitals battling debt.

Managers defend the policies because of the higher risk of complications on the operating table for unfit patients. But critics believe that patients are being denied care simply to save money.