It is evident to me that one of the consequences of the article by Gary Naglie and colleagues [1] on the age difference in the cost of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) will be an attempt by the cost managers to reduce the numbers of seniors who have this procedure. This is ageism at its worst.
Considering that half of the cost of health care for an individual occurs in the last year of life (when he or she is sickest, unto death), it should have been self-evident that it costs more to treat older people. The need to put a Figure onthis escapes me. However, it will not, you can be sure, escape the cost-cutters. There will be a push to limit this procedure to those under 65 years of age, even though the "research" does not demonstrate that the outcome is different among those who are younger, or that the postoperative life span is longer or more productive.
This appears to me to be a nasty article, which serves no good purpose, but will, I fear, produce bad consequences.
Michael J. Walsh, MD
Barrie, Ont.
References
- 1.