In the national debates/discussion leading up to Congress’ (which was then dominated by Democrats in both houses) passage of Obamacare, aka the Orwellian-named Affordable Care Act, Sarah Palin was roundly vilified by the media for warning Americans about “death panels.”
By “death panels,” Palin meant physicians “counseling” their elderly or terminally-ill patients on end-of-life planning, including “advance directives.” The latter, also known as advance health care directive or living will, is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacity. The concern is that in these counseling sessions with authority figures such as medical doctors and hospital administrators, the patients could be pressured to make decisions contrary to their wishes or well being.
Think that can’t happen?
Think again. See:
- Euthanasia on the rise in America due to lucrative organ-harvesting
- 1/3 of Dutch physicians are willing to kill the mentally ill
- Belgium’s culture of death: Doctor Kills Depressed Woman in Euthanasia, Doesn’t Tell Family Until Next Day
- Up to 650 babies euthanized every year in Holland
- Belgium considering new euthanasia law FOR KIDS
Now that Obamacare is a reality, despite Republicans being a majority in both houses of Congress, the Obama administration is reviving the death panel.
Noam N. Levey reports for the Los Angeles Times that “6 years after end-of-life planning nearly derailed development of the Affordable Care Act amid charges of ‘death panels,’ the Obama administration has revived a proposal to reimburse physicians for talking with their Medicare patients about how patients want to be cared for as they near death.”
The proposal from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is contained in a large set of Medicare regulations unveiled on Wednesday, July 8, 2015.
The new proposal would not require Medicare patients to sign any order or even to talk with their physicians about end-of-life care. Rather, the proposed regulation would allow medical providers to bill Medicare for “advance-care planning” should a patient want to have the discussion. Such a session could include “the explanation and discussion of advance directives such as standard forms by the physician or other qualified health professional.”
The American Medical Association has recommended the Medicare billing change.
Medicare currently provides coverage to more than 50 million mostly older Americans and is projected to grow steadily as baby boomers retire — the same Medicare that will go broke next year, in 2016. according to a 2012 report by the program’s trustees.
Two months ago, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, one of the 17 Republicans running for the presidency, had endorsed the “death panel” when he suggested that Medicare patients should sign so-called advance directives that spell out the care they want if they become incapacitated.
~Éowyn
