but, if you want to be able to put a class of people into it so that you can ration their care and still feel like you're not completely turning your back on them, the VA-type system is perfect. It meets a need, creates some jobs, and makes us feel good about helping others.
If we could create something similar for people we don't actually care about, and want to be able to stop blaming for driving up our healthcare costs, it would look an awful lot like the VA.