In an ideal world we would all get the treatment we need to live as healthily and as long as possible. But in the real world we have limited resources and people are being denied treatments that would prolong their life.

It’s not just happening in poor countries. The UK has a National Health Service which promises to provide free and equal health care for all, yet healthcare providers are admitting that age rationing occurs. And the same dilemmas are being faced elsewhere.

Age discrimination is happening unintentionally. When you want to do as much good as possible with the resources you have, someone over 85 misses out on treatment that would extend their life because it would buy them less extra time than it would for a younger person.

I just watched a documentary called ‘The Price of Life’ in which a woman was given a drug which dramatically reduced the effects of her cancer. Her daily life went from being almost unbearable to being positively enjoyable. Since the drug was already working for her it was likely to increase her life expectancy if she continued taking it.

But it was part of a drug trial and she was not allowed to continue receiving the treatment when the experiment finished. Even though the drug trial had been successful it was considered too expensive for the NHS to provide. After long deliberation the NHS can now prescribe the drug, but in the time they took to decide, the woman was put on less effective drugs and died after suffering complications.

We can eat healthily, take exercise and not smoke, but when we live longer we still might get sick. Then even if there is a cure our life could be determined by a cost-benefit analysis which decides we’re not worth the expense.

Suddenly, comprehensive health insurance looks very attractive.

Don’t Get Caught Out – The Cost of Living Changes as You Get Older.

While we are young and healthy it’s easy to calculate how much money we need for necessities such as food, warmth and shelter. As we get older the situation changes. You may think you’ll need less and you’ll be able to live on your pension, but age related health issues are expensive to address and you may have to pay. In retirement the amount of money we spend on health increases, and this money often has to be found from savings or a pension.

Even in countries that provide free health care, people in the last 7 years of their lives tend to spend their own money on pills and products to improve mobility, reduce pain or relieve symptoms. Sadly some people who can’t afford to pay for treatment die waiting for operations or for Government approval to fund expensive drugs.

The state can’t pay for complete and perfect health care for everyone and as people live longer the systems we rely on are being put under even more pressure. Expensive drugs are available which extend life expectancy and improve the quality of life for people with certain diseases such as breast cancer and Alzheimer’s. Yet people die while experts decide whether to fund treatment or not.

Drug companies can charge a high premium for pills which reduce suffering, restore health or extend life. They know that if we have the money we will pay even if our governments or insurance policies won’t.

It’s very difficult to know how much money to provide for our old age. New treatments will be available by the time we need them, but will we be able to afford them?