It turns out one of the ways the good Dr. Emanuel wants to help make health care affordable is to dissuade patients from using it.

Emanuel has already made news by saying that he doesn't see much use in living past age 75.  That's when, for many people, the body and the mind begin breaking down in ways that are essentially irreversible.  Beside, says Dr. Zeke, most people past the age of 75 don't accomplish much of anything worthwhile, and so are of little use to society.  (To be brutal, most of us of any age don't accomplish much that's truly transformative.)   And if life's not worth living past 75, don't expect the administrators of Obamacare to see that you get much health care after that age.

Exceptions abound, of course, from Supreme Court Justices to active centenarians.  But they are exceptions, and Dr. Zeke does not bet on exceptions.

That's why, for example, Dr. Zeke recently announced on The New York Times op-ed page that he's given up his annual physical and that you should, too.  ("Skip Your Annual Physical," January 9, 2015.)  For an estimated 45 million of us, according to Dr. Zeke, the annual physical has been a part of our well-being check:  a reminder that we are another year older, to watch our weight, to get enough sleep and exercise, and to cut back on our bad health habits like excesssive drinking, smoking, or sniffing glue.  (Sorry, you had to watch Lloyd Bridges in "Airplane.")