Immortality Comes At a Price

America’s Two-Tiered Medical System

Wealthy and influential citizens (and non citizens, as discussed later) have always had access to care that is far superior to what most of us can afford. If you are a successful Wall Street hedge fund manager or a Saudi prince, a common practice is to make donations to important hospitals. Your reward is to see the best doctors on a moment’s notice if you need them.

Consider that Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the United Arab Emirates, now has an entire wing of Johns Hopkins hospital named for him. Or, that an unnamed member of the Saudi Royal family donated $325 million to the same project at Johns Hopkins (Click here for the story). Do you think that these gifts were made because they love us? Or do they expect (and rightfully so) that they will be given privileged access to medical care that you and I scarcely imagine? With this frame work it’s easy to understand why a ship like the Pura Vida could be afloat right now.