Atul Gawande has a new book, "Being Mortal" which is both horrible, and brilliant. One reviewer described it as his best book yet. That depends on your criteria, but it may be right. This is what it is all about: 

You will die, but early death is so rare in modern society. Most deaths are the product of old age or long illness - which very often means the same thing. Under such circumstances people become separated from their home, their loved ones, and their purpose in life by increasingly invasive medical interventions. These can either be nursing home care or treatments of such dubious value that they may be no more than lottery tickets offering a few more days or weeks of life, but at a cost which substantially subtracts from the quality of the actual time remaining. 

It is a grim read. It is also a very engaging book, well written, and on a subject that we must all confront at some point - as a friend or relative and for ourselves. For those involved in the insurance industry we must often consider such issues and help clients to think about them too there is a lot to commend this book. You can learn more at this link.