**2. Equity - is each year of perfect life equal?**

As QALYS are used to determine the allotment of financial resources, the age of the citizens receiving these resources can be a significant issue. The most common causes of death in the U.S. (stroke, cancer, Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases (CLRD), Alzheimers, heart disease, and diabetes) debilitate patients for a broad duration, ranging from immediate death to 20 years (**Table 1**, **Figure 2**). Death can occur suddenly with almost no recourse for intervention or financial expenditure by society aimed to improve life, such as in an unforeseen and lethal suicide or stroke. However, disease care is becoming more often a case of extended managed care, such as with diabetes.
