Voluntary Medical Euthanasia

Voluntary medical euthanasia should be legalized in the United States to give patients who are terminally ill and are experiencing uncontrollable physical pain a choice to continue in that state or not. Even though euthanasia has been a controversial topic in the United States it needs to be legalized because every person should have the right to make a decision regarding their well-being. Euthanasia is defined as a mercy killing or as a way to end someone's life due to health deterioration or no chances of recovering from an illness. Euthanasia should be legal so that the patient who is enduring pain and suffering in hospital bed can have an option other than to continue to agonize. Legalization of euthanasia will help hospitals increase availability for people who need medical help but are turned away because there are no beds. When a patient that does not have the desire to continue living and is continually treated, resources, time and money are wasted. What is the difference between the death penalty and euthanasia or a woman's right to choose abortion? Under the death penalty a person that is found guilty by a jury is sentenced to death against their will. This convict has not agreed to have their life taken away. A woman has an abortion an unlimited amount of times. She is given the right to murder a life that is growing within her. If we as a nation can decide the fate of a murderer or an unborn child why don't we have the same right with our own life?

Costs of terminally ill patients can sky rocket. Not only are the costs very high for a patient but they are high for the hospital as well. Sometimes people who are critically ill don't have insurance and the costs can be very hard for them to pay out of pocket. If the patient is unable to make the payments their family tries to foot the bill however, we know that they may make payment arrangements but, it will be very difficult to pay off the total charges. A Hospital loses money because they use up resources and time to keep a patient that does not have the desire to live, alive. They can't accept new patients because they lack availability. Costs of private insurance are also high because of the end of life days. Most private insurance companies have to try and recuperate the money spent on these critical patients so they charge higher premiums. Government insurance such as Medicare has to recuperate their losses and they do it through taxation. According to an article from CBS News's 60 Minutes the winner of the Edward R. Murrow and Peabody just to name a few says that "Medicare paid $50 billion just for doctor and hospital bills during the last two months of patients' lives...it's extremely expensive." (Court, Nov 22 09) I believe if euthanasia were an option these costs would drop tremendously.

When our family members are in the hospital and are being treated for fatal illnesses or diseases, we can't even imagine the pain they are experiencing. No one really knows what that feels like until they are lying in that hospital bed. Doctors prescribe pain medications that most of the time do not give the patient enough relief. Is it morally correct to allow someone who has no chance of getting out of that hospital bed again to continue their last days in agony? When someone who was so independent becomes very dependent on another person they feel as if they