The Right Prescription
Recent Media Coverage of the End of Life Counseling Provisions
A response from the chairman and founder of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths.
Instead of trying to discredit me, the focus should be on the facts about the proposed health legislation. The House bill (H.R.3200) is dangerous to the elderly, as many are beginning to realize. Here is what you need to know:
Partisans for the legislation claim that it simply aims to provide Medicare coverage for once-every-five-year conversations with doctors over end of life care. Wrong. The new “benefit” is inserted in legislation with the express purpose of controlling health care costs (page 1). The bill lists what must be covered in the consultation (pages 425-30). Worse still, the legislation states that the Medicare system will rate your doctor’s “quality” and (and adjust reimbursement) based on the percentage of your doctor’s patients who create living wills and adhere to them.
The “adhere to” part is especially dangerous. Some people say “they’d never want to be on a ventilator,” but when the time comes, they choose it over death. Sick patients sometimes become depressed and ready to give up on life, but a day later regain their will to live. Doctors will incur penalties when families don’t adhere to end of life plans — a horrible conflict of interest. As a patient advocate, I see these difficult situations and know that government should not be involved.
The President and his supporters claim that the provision is “voluntary.” The bill does not have to use the word mandatory to make the counseling mandatory. In fact, the word mandatory is seldom used in any legislation. But if there is a penalty for noncompliance, it is mandatory. In this case the penalty is on your doctor.
About the Author
Betsy McCaughey is a former Lt. Governor of New York and author of Beating Obamacare.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (49) | Leave a comment
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jack| 8.17.09 @ 7:39AM
Its just good to know the death panel provision both the Democrats and news media have denied the existence of has been taken out of bill. these guys are too much. whats become of our watchdog media
Grzmlyk| 8.17.09 @ 8:22AM
I agree with the many who say if Congress and the so-called president were pressed to sign onto the "public option," it would be dead instantly. Like all liberals, they have two sets of rules: Those for YOU, and those for them, the superior ruling class.
For all of you good liberals out there who think conservatives are ginning up fear for no reason whatsoever, let's see you at the head of the line to sign up for this "system." Let's see you put your money where your big mouths are. Put it in writing. So even if you have a cushy job with a great health benefits package, clearly you'll be happy to forgo it for the wonderful public option, right? Better health care for 50 million more people at a lower price!
The sole purpose of this bill - and of the Obama administration in general, for that matter - is to reduce American citizens to cogs in the State machine. I got news for this administration: I was not born to serve the state.
Conservatives have correctly realized this health care bill is the hinge by which the fascists want to shut the door on freedom. As such, the protests - remarkably civil thus far (in contrast to any liberal protest you could name) - ought not feel constrained by Roberts Rules of Order.
There should be no constraints WHATSOEVER on resisting getting this shoved down our throats. We must do whatever it takes to stop the tyranny.
Robert Rosencrans| 8.17.09 @ 8:34AM
This is basically a mirror image of the other side of the abortion issue. Secular humanists and ideologues of the left have little trouble dispensing with those they don't value or consider "bothersome."
Grzmlyk| 8.17.09 @ 8:57AM
Back before I first became awakened to what liberalism is REALLY all about (but still had conservative leanings), I used to scratch my head at those who called ascribe to it "the culture of death." I thought that was going too far. After all, at least liberals hate war, right?
Now I know better. They are indeed the culture of death. They only hate war because the "wrong" people benefit. Much tidier to have the government decide who can live and who must die, and much cheaper in the long run to have the undesirables abort their kids on the government's dime.
You liberals don't like the references to Nazi Germany because they're so uncomfortably close.
The SS had a skull as part of its not-so-subtle insignia. I'm waiting for you to add that to your Greatest Hits of the "New and Improved Master Race" playlist.
Maybe it could replace the Rod of Asclepius as the logo of the AMA!
2Anglico| 8.17.09 @ 9:11AM
I have to admit, I thought the provision for counseling was just a provision to "pay" not a mandate. But I should have known better. Like all the filthy bills emanating from the congress, the real dangerous portions are hidden and couched in soothing language. It is the most despicable bill ever. I am glad it is being "ratted" out.
All the more reason to get the government OUT of this business. And yes, Bob, finding a market solution to Medicare would be good for the country.
Wall Street Journal today puts it all into perspective.
bill carson| 8.17.09 @ 10:08AM
This woman is the most knowledegable authority I've seen on TV regarding health care. I'd guess that 99% of the people who attack her know only a small fraction of what she knows.
Appleby| 8.17.09 @ 10:14AM
Let me know when Ted Kennedy has his first mandatory End of Life Session and whether or not he has a living will -- and what will happen to his family doctor(s) if the family don't pull the plug or even allow it to be plugged in to begin with.
I would like to see the first experiments on congressmen so I can see how this whole thing plays out.
JerseyJ| 8.17.09 @ 11:07AM
Bravo Betsy. I've heard and read you several times in the past few weeks and I encourage you to keep educating the public and keep shouting the truth. You're doing all of us a great service.
Grzmlyk| 8.17.09 @ 11:28AM
I'd like to see a lot more experiments conducted on congressmen rather than lab rats.
After all, there are someth
Grzmlyk| 8.17.09 @ 11:30AM
Oops. I suffered from premature submission:
That should read, "After all, there are some things rats won't do."
ds80| 8.17.09 @ 12:56PM
Bummer, Grzmlyk. "premature submission" is not covered under Obamacare.
Tom| 8.17.09 @ 1:13PM
It's not gone until the process is over - it can be reinserted at many points still to come during this sausage making.
Grzmlyk| 8.17.09 @ 1:49PM
ds80: Touche! :-) Tis indeed a bummer.
Then again, I am happy to take whatever the government thinks I deserve when it comes to healthcare. And whatever condition I may have, I will be happy as a clam to forego healthcare.
After all, a bureaucrat's judgment is bound to be far, far more fair, benevolent and medically sound than my own, my family's or my doctor's.
Moreover, I cannot wait to wait my turn for basic healthcare services like MRIs, CATscans or acute treatment. What an awesome way to catch up on my hobby: doing crossword puzzles from a supine position!
Additionally, I accept without rancor that it's my duty to our Dear Leader to die the day I hit 65 (unless, of course, I'm an elected Congressman with a "D" after my name, a member of the Administration, a member of the SEIU, a member of ACORN, a member of the mainstream media, a rank-and-file liberal or a Hollywood celebrity).
The State is All! Obama is the State! Long Live Obama!
Patriot| 8.17.09 @ 3:49PM
We MUST STOP ObamaCare--now!
Pingback| 8.17.09 @ 4:34PM
Wonk Room » Rebutting The Rebuttal: Betsy McCaughey Backpaddles But Continues To Lie links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
jr| 8.17.09 @ 4:45PM
Please remember, any bill legislated by this Congress and supported in part or all, by Republicans will be part of the cancer creep. We are still suffering from the 1930s legislation by FDR followed by the Great Society LBJ. Two forward and one back will get us more problems - that will not get removed irrespective of who or what is in Congress and the WH. Even if end-of-life was nothing but counseling and voluntary, it would be a foot in the door. A little later, mandatory, then zippo, across the throat with the little blue pill. Not going to fund abortions, what a novel new idea.
Pingback| 8.17.09 @ 5:28PM
Anurag’s Blog » The American Spectator : Recent Media Coverage of the End of Life … links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
gill.Oteen07041776@gmail.com| 8.17.09 @ 7:02PM
Grzmlyk, I detected a major error in your 8:22 AM post. Socialists do not want to pay for anything with their own money, they want to pay for it with yours.
I had a weird thought last week. It popped into my head that we already have a single-payer system. The American taxpayer. Be sure to thank one today!
Gill O’Teen ✝✡
gill.Oteen07041776@gmail.com
Don’t Tread on Me!!
Kazooskibum| 8.17.09 @ 10:36PM
The Democrat Party is a criminal enterprise.
Sheld| 8.18.09 @ 1:30AM
Here's a challenge for all the independent thinkers out there.
Have you actually read section 1233? I'll bet many of you have read tens of thousands of words on 'death panels' but haven't actually read section 1233. Btw, I've got a word count of 1544 words for it.
But that's not the funniest. This is from a larger future posting
--- begin ---
So incomprehensible and difficult are the 1544 words of section 1233 that even weeks after the death panels of section 1233 became widely known, sometimes even those called upon to explain it to American public gave up before even trying to gain sufficient comprehension from the original text. For an example of the complexity of section 1233, see this video and this comment on the video.
--- end quote----
The links are to an enemy website but they're still precious. See how I get beaten up for my comment. .
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908140043
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908140043#552579
Shel| 8.18.09 @ 1:41AM
Just for the heck of it, I decided to see if I could
see who posted here and hadn't read s.1233. To qualify you had to be a full blown mandatory death panel believer.
I found 3 for sure and 1 beyond reasonable doubt.
And of course, ther's no one who has corrected these 4 people.
Here's the hall of shame:
2Anglico| 8.17.09 @ 9:11AM
Appleby| 8.17.09 @ 10:14AM
Tom| 8.17.09 @ 1:13PM but this is a maybe
Grzmlyk| 8.17.09 @ 1:49PM
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Martin Gray| 8.18.09 @ 10:46AM
Whatever bill gets passed, it must require members of Congress to surrender their current system and sign up for ours. No? Then why should I.
Pingback| 8.18.09 @ 3:25PM
Recent Media Coverage of the End of Life Counseling Provisions : Western Journalism. links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
SaLLY| 8.19.09 @ 2:20AM
when families don’t adhere to end of life plans — a horrible conflict of interest. As a patient advocate, I see these difficult situations and know that government should not be involved.
Wow, youre actually admitting that you currently hold your own private "death panels" with your patients? You fiend. I hope you rot in hell.
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