[memen]

> There's of course money involved too: the elder care home she's in gets a hefty rent each month. And so does the doctor.

Leaving this out might make your argument stronger. At least in Europe, there is no shortage of elder people that can be cared for. Most of these elder care homes have long waiting lists, and normal doctors have waiting lists as well. I think it would be more fair to say that it is an incredibly difficult decision to make as an 'outsider', and combined with how the law works with respect to death and liability, procedures and strictness with regards to euthanasia are not that strange.

[yawpitch]

I think the point they were making is that the care home and the doctor have a perverse financial incentive to maintain a life beyond the point there’s any quality to that life.

Obviously in a half-way decent society costs shouldn’t be a deciding factor in end of life care or euthanasia decisions for the elder or their family, but neither should rent + fees be a compelling interest in the decisions of those providing that care, yet it’s obvious that it can be.

[memen]

Yes, that was what I understood as their point. My point is that it isn't that big of an effect, and also partially discrediting the people involved by saying they only think about money.

[yawpitch]

I think you’re seriously underestimating how big that effect may be. Group care for terminal patients is a massive, and growing, economy in many countries, and doctors and other caregivers are no more immune to perverse incentives and rent seeking behavior as any of us.

[memen]

It may differ in your country, but here in the Netherlands there is just a shortage of supply, not a shortage of demand. All these services have massive waiting lists, so there will be ten others for each person 'leaving the system'.

I think it is just a risk calculation. How much does a lawsuit for 'wrongful termination of a life' cost vs how much does it cost to have a 'wrongful continuation of a life' and how often is it expected to occur within a given time period and given a set of safeguards. Then you choose the safeguards such that your expected cost is as low as possible. Doctors are only there to fill in the checklist.