My grandmother died at the age of 98. As he continued to age, his body could no longer function properly without the use of many different medications. He had a pharmacy in the kitchen cabinet. Additionally, he underwent numerous surgeries throughout his life to survive. As her time became scarce, my mother's lovely mother no longer had the mental capacity to carry out daily tasks, despite never having suffered from dementia or another brain-reducing disorder. She had simply outlived her body. I loved my grandmother and cherished the time I spent with her, but the question that comes to mind is: what effect does modern medicine have on overall quality of life? Numerous advances in modern medicine have led to an exaggerated increase in life expectancy. As a result, the world's population is multiplying and driving huge increases in the amount of money spent on health care in the United States. In short, modern medicine is contributing to the unimaginable debt of the United States, as well as overpopulating the planet. To fully understand the problem, we must first look at the effects that healthcare costs have on the economy and on American families. Soaring costs and the continued need for health care have led to a dramatic increase in debt for large numbers of Americans, as well as the nation as a whole. Despite performing amazing acts of salvation every day, modern medicine is as expensive as one might assume such a miracle would cost. For example, the average cost of triple bypass surgery, like my grandfather's, cost over $200,000 and is mostly covered by insurance. Additionally, patients requesting...... half of the document ......t of Clean Water, New Film Warns." CNN. Cable News Network, September 19, 2008. Web. February 17, 2014. ." Health Care Costs « » The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation." Health Care Costs. Np, nd Web. 17 February 2014. "International Programs." - Total Mid-Year Population of the World: 1950-2050. United States Census Bureau, nd Web . 17 February 2014. Minois, Georges. "Too Much Life on Earth?" George Monbiot. The Guardian, 15 December 2008. Web. 17 February 2008. 2014. .