Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates “Ration End-of-Life Care” at Chicago Ideas Week, October 10th

Debate to air on WTTW Chicago in January 2013
 
NEW YORK—September 24, 2012—On October 10th, Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) will continue its fall season with a debate on end of life medical care at Chicago Ideas Week. Just because we can extend life, should we? The U.S. is expected to spend $2.8 trillion on health care in 2012. Medicare alone will cost taxpayers $590 billion, with over 25% going toward patients in their last year of life. If health care is a scarce resource, limited by its availability and our ability to pay for it, should government step in to ration care, deciding whose life is worth saving? In other words, how much is an extra month of life worth?

Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University and Art Kellermann, Paul O'Neill Alcoa Chair in Policy Analysis at the RAND Corporation will argue in support of the motion. Ken Connor founder and Chairman of the Center for a Just Society and Sally Pipes, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a San Francisco-based think tank founded in 1979 will argue against the motion. 

Intelligence Squared U.S.'s fall season debates are streamed live on WSJ Live. Debates also air on more than 220 NPR stations nationwide and are televised nationally on the WORLD channel and in the New York area on PBS Channel Thirteen, WNET, WLIW, and NJTV.

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates “Ration End of Life Care”
WHEN: Tuesday, October 2, 2012 / Reception 5:30-6:15 / Debate 6:30-8:15 PM
WHERE: Albert Theatre at Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60601
TICKETS: $15/ To purchase, visit www.iq2us.org 

The debate will take place in front of a live audience at the Albert Theatre at Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Audience members will vote to decide the winning team in this provocative debate.

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED DEBATES (IQ2US)

Named One of "Five Podcasts that Will Change the Way You Think" by Forbes, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in New York City in 2006 by Robert Rosenkranz, and has grown into an internationally syndicated series heard and watched by millions. The debates have attracted some of the world's top thinkers including Paul Krugman, Karl Rove, Malcolm Gladwell, Alan Dershowitz, Peter Thiel and Arianna Huffington. 

Based on the highly successful Oxford-style debate program originated in London, Intelligence Squared U.S. has presented over 60 debates on a wide range of provocative topics including global warming, the financial crisis, the marketing of organic foods, and the death of mainstream media. The Rosenkranz Foundation initiated the Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate Series and continues to provide major support. ABC News correspondent John Donvan is the moderator, and the executive producer is Dana Wolfe.
 
For more information about IQ2US, please contact Andrea Bussell (abussell@shorefire.com), Rebecca Shapiro (rshapiro@shorefire.com) or Mark Satlof (msatlof@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media, 718.522.7171