I seem to remember reading that Michael Schiavo and his ghoulish attorney had her placed on the "public tit" while they were still wrangling over the trust fund.
However, the Schindler family members wanted to bring her home and care for her at their own expense, IIRC. Not to mention that there were offers pouring in from all over the place from people who wanted to donate time, money, and therapy expertise. So, if she had been allowed to go home and live with her family, she would most likely then have been OFF the "public tit."
FYI, there were several "experts" (such as neurologists, therapists, etc.) who were convinced that she could have made at least a partial recovery. Her brain was damaged, but it was NOT "lunchmeat." Sheesh.
I hear you, and I'm not crazy about being taxed to pay for other people's medical care either... as a matter of fact, after my taxes get paid, I can't afford ANY medical care, for either my cats or me.
But in the Schiavo case, letting her live would have had the practical upside of getting her off the "public tit." And I'm sure there could have been found a couple of thousand people who were willing to donate even $5.00 per month toward Terri's upkeep (I would have scraped up the money to donate a few bucks per month for the rest of her life).