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June 28, 2010 Author: Associated Press The copyright owner explicitly requested not to republish the text. Therefore a link is given. A backup copy is available in case the link becomes unaccessible. Full text: Chicago Tribune - Americans are treated, and overtreated, to death Backup copy: Naturalmoney.org - Americans are treated, and overtreated, to death Americans increasingly are treated to death, spending more time in hospitals in their final days, trying last-ditch treatments that often buy only weeks of time, and racking up bills that have made medical care a leading cause of bankruptcies. More than 80 percent of people who die in the United States have a long, progressive illness such as cancer, heart failure or Alzheimer's disease. More than 80 percent of such patients say they want to avoid hospitalization and intensive care when they are dying, according to the Dartmouth Atlas Project, which tracks health care trends. Yet the numbers show that's not what is happening. |