Oh, but there is such a thing. From a NYTimes editorial, Sep. 13: "The law says the secretary of health and human services cannot deny Medicare coverage of services “solely” on the basis of comparative effectiveness research, but it does not prevent the use of such findings in conjunction with other factors in making coverage decisions. Those decisions generally influence what private insurers cover as well."
The key words, a government panel "making coverage decisions." In other words, rationing of health care that healthcare Czar Donald Berwick enthusiastically approves. Private insurance companies permit the freedom to choose between coverages and companies. With the government, your freedom to choose is quashed. If you ask if I prefer the free market to socialism, I'm with Pirsig. If you like, I'll repeat what he said in comparing the two. . On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 11:00 PM, david buchanan <[email protected]>wrote: > > Platt said Horse: > ... If you don't want me to use the term "death panel" in referring to a > government body that decides who lives and who dies, I'll comply. I think > it's an accurate description, but if you find it contrary to fact and unduly > "provocative," so be it. > > > dmb says: > > If there were such a thing as a government bod that decides who live and > who dies, that term would describe it pretty well. The problem is, there is > no such thing. The term was invented to describe a particular provision in > the health care bill. That provision simply says that the government will > pay YOUR doctor if YOU want to talk to him or her about life and death > decisions. Who is in a better position to help you decide? So the idea Platt > presents is not only contrary to fact and provocative, it distorts and > demonizes a very humane and decent practice, one that informs and comforts > people when they need it most. > > If there is such a thing as a bureaucrat with the power of life and death, > it's those people who stamp "coverage denied" on your insurance claim. > That's when people find out they don't have enough money to buy whatever > treatment they need to live. Every time coverage is denied, profits go up > and the bureaucrat's job is just a little more secure. He literally has an > incentive to deny coverage, especially for the pricey procedures. There is a > lethal tension between the needs of the insured and the motives of the > insurance companies. A government run program would take that motive out of > the equation, at least. Such things are supposed to be accountable to the > voters as well. It scares me less than what we have now. My dad raves about > Medicare. Had private insurance all his life and was stunned to find out how > much better it was on the government side. > > Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org/md/archives.html
