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Biogerontology: A Promising Route to Cost Containment in Healthcare?

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Ethics, Health Policy and (Anti-) Aging: Mixed Blessings

Part of the book series: Ethics and Health Policy ((EHP,volume 1))

Abstract

Population aging is now a global phenomenon. This shift in society’s age structure has been a gradual process in developed countries, spanning over more than a century. In more developing regions, however, population aging has only recently begun and is proceeding at a much faster pace than it did in developed countries (Kinsella and Phillips 2005).

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Notes

  1. 1.

    We use the terms ‘lifespan extension’ and ‘anti-aging’ interchangeably throughout this chapter.

  2. 2.

    Although we have previously argued that a lifespan of 1000 years is highly unrealistic, we have chosen to stick to Harris’ example in order to offer an accurate representation of his argument.

  3. 3.

    The term ‘longevity dividend’ is generally used to refer to these other benefits as well as to the expected benefit of healthcare savings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioethics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Laura Capitaine & Guido Pennings

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  1. Laura Capitaine
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  2. Guido Pennings
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Correspondence to Laura Capitaine .

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  1. Room AE 340, Rotterdam, 3000 CA, Netherlands

    Maartje Schermer

  2. , Medical Ethics and Philsophy, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, 's-Gravendijkwal 230, Rotterdam, 3015 CE, Netherlands

    Wim Pinxten

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Capitaine, L., Pennings, G. (2013). Biogerontology: A Promising Route to Cost Containment in Healthcare?. In: Schermer, M., Pinxten, W. (eds) Ethics, Health Policy and (Anti-) Aging: Mixed Blessings. Ethics and Health Policy, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3870-6_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3870-6_19

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