Life-and-death questions dog health-care debate

Jay Bookman makes some great points in his most recent column:

With a dog’s life at stake, you can think through the problem in terms of cost and benefit. With a human being, it would be inconceivable. And that’s not because an insurance company or other third party would pay most of the bill.

No, you don’t ask the price because with a human life at stake, it wouldn’t matter. You already know that whatever the cost, you’re going to do everything possible to pay it.

And in economic terms, that’s the problem. In theory, a willing seller and willing buyer will work out a fair price, with the potential buyer free to walk away if no deal can be struck. But when you combine a willing seller with a desperate, maybe pain-wracked or hope-starved buyer, the market warps and theory fails. The buyer is in no position to say no, and as a result can’t demand a lower price.