Jarvis,” I asked my husband, “should we have a discussion about end-of-life care?”
“Yes,” he said. “We need that discussion — almost in religious terms.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant. The reason the whole subject comes up so much nowadays is political: Who would pay for end of life care? I reminded Jarvis that, according to a July Wall Street Journal article, most health care spending in general occurs in the last six months of life. And a recent UC Berkeley report noted that health care accounts for 16 percent of our gross domestic product; it will increase if nothing is done, providing a huge drag on our country’s economy.
“All the more reason we need that conversation,” Jarvis said.
I would never have thought of referencing the WSJ and the national economy in an end-of-life conversation with my loved ones.