--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, WillyTex <no_re...@...> wrote: > > raunchydog wrote: > > The Senate Finance Committee will drop > > a controversial provision on consultations > > for end-of-life care... > > > Nobody wants to talk about the 'death panel' > or health care 'rationing'. Some folks just > seem to be in a state of denial. Of course > there's going to be a death panel. How else > are we going to ration health care? Somebody > is going to have to decide on eligibility. >
Republican framing of end of life counseling as "death panels" certainly worked to get it out of the Senate bill, but Paul Krugman calls Republicans on their hypocrisy: "The provision requiring that Medicare pay for voluntary end-of-life counseling was introduced by Senator Johnny Isakson, Republican yes, Republican of Georgia, who says that it's "nuts" to claim that it has anything to do with euthanasia." Read More: http://tinyurl.com/qqlufd http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/opinion/14krugman.html?adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1250258554-z5TJtFsxRuKwMLA+tcGIlg > > The committee, which has worked on putting > > together a bipartisan healthcare reform bill, > > will drop the controversial provision after > > it was derided by conservatives as "death > > panels" to encourage euthanasia. > > > According to what I've read, Streve Jobs got > a liver transplant. Supposedly he has pancreatic > cancer. He's got private insurance as well > as a group policy. So somehow he got his name > on the top of the list. I thought there was a > waiting list for such a procedure. > > But how many liver transplants would be allowed > under Medicare if you had pancreatic cancer? > Does Medicare pay for any alternative health > care in cancer cases? Who decides when > chemotherapy is over? Who decides if a person > with terminal cancer gets a hip replacement? > Who decides when your time is up to be kicked > out of rehab if your Medicare runs out? > > > "We dropped end-of-life provisions... > > > So many questions - so few answers. > > > ...but is expected to unveil its proposal > > shortly after Labor Day. > > > According to Section 1233 of the reform health > care plan, there is going to be a review by a > panel to determine patient status every five > years for senior citizens, to evaluate their > health condition and whether or not they can > remain in a skilled nursing facility or in a > hospice program. > > > Grassley said that bill would hold up > > better compared to proposals crafted in > > the House, which he asserted were "poorly > > cobbled together." > > > Nobody wants to talk about the costs, rationing > health care or getting the discount pharmaceuticals. > Something smells fishy. > > > The veteran Iowa lawmaker said the end-of-life > > provision in those bills would pay physicians > > to "advise patients about end-of-life care and > > rate physician... > > > That's the rub, isn't it? Wouldn't a government > doctor be biased to counsel dying patients > > > "Maybe others can defend a bill like the Pelosi > > bill that leaves major issues open to > > interpretation, > > > Now I ask you, how many of you would be happy > with the three twits, Pelosi, Frank, and Reid, > sitting on a panel that decides what treatment > you will or will not receive at the end of your > life based on politics and economics? > > > This whole mess would have been unnecessary if > > Obama had pushed Medicare for All from day one... > > > And if Obama had kept his promise not to be > bought off by special interests. But in fact, > the U.S. taxpayer cannot afford universal > free health care at this time. And why should > they? Why should the taxpayers pay for health > insurance for those who pay no income taxes? > > Let's fact it, millions of people will never > have health care insurance. >
