You have one side (though I do not agree with the Blue Dogs) a debate on what from health care reform should take, and on the other side the unreasoned fears of the mob.
Then there is Sarah Palin. Mrs. Palin who I am fairly convinced that she has not read a lick of the proposed bill. She had this to say.
The Democrats promise that a government health care system will reduce the cost of health care, but as the economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out, government health care will not reduce the cost; it will simply refuse to pay the cost. And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s “death panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.God Lord!! Those libruls are trying to kill her baby!!! And granny too!
Well, I found my self wondering, what sort of nefarious bastard would put that in a "health care reform bill". So I had a look see for myself (actual bill). Here is the relevant section, for those that care (from Urban Legends).
Page 424, Line 15:
SEC. 1233. ADVANCE CARE PLANNING CONSULTATION.
(a) MEDICARE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended—
(A) in subsection (s)(2)—
(i) by striking "and" at the end of subparagraph (DD);
(ii) by adding "and" at the end of subparagraph (EE); and
(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
Page 425:
"(FF) advance care planning consultation (as defined in subsection (hhh)(1));"; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
"Advance Care Planning Consultation
"(hhh)(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the term ‘advance care planning consultation’ means a consultation between the individual and a practitioner described in paragraph (2) regarding advance care planning, if, subject to paragraph (3), the individual involved has not had such a consultation within the last 5 years. Such consultation shall include the following:
"(A) An explanation by the practitioner of advance care planning, including key questions and considerations, important steps, and suggested people to talk to.
"(B) An explanation by the practitioner of advance directives, including living wills and durable powers of attorney, and their uses.
"(C) An explanation by the practitioner of the role and responsibilities of a health care proxy.
"(D) The provision by the practitioner of a list of national and State-specific resources to assist consumers and their families with advance care planning, including the national toll-free hotline,
Page 426:
the advance care planning clearinghouses, and State legal service organizations (including those funded through the Older Americans Act of 1965).
"(E) An explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title.
"(F)(i) Subject to clause (ii), an explanation of orders regarding life sustaining treatment or similar orders, which shall include—
"(I) the reasons why the development of such an order is beneficial to the individual and the individual’s family and the reasons why such an order should be updated periodically as the health of the individual changes;
"(II) the information needed for an individual or legal surrogate to make informed decisions regarding the completion of such an order; and
"(III) the identification of resources that an individual may use to determine the requirements of the State in which such individual resides so that the treatment wishes of that individual will be carried out if the individual is
Page 427:
unable to communicate those wishes, including requirements regarding the designation of a surrogate decision maker (also known as a health care proxy).
"(ii) The Secretary shall limit the requirement for explanations under clause (i) to consultations furnished in a State—
"(I) in which all legal barriers have been addressed for enabling orders for life sustaining treatment to constitute a set of medical orders respected across all care settings; and
"(II) that has in effect a program for orders for life sustaining treatment described in clause (iii).
"(iii) A program for orders for life sustaining treatment for a States described in this clause is a program that—
"(I) ensures such orders are standardized and uniquely identifiable throughout the State;
(II) distributes or makes accessible such orders to physicians and other health professionals that (acting within the scope of the professional’s authority under State law) may sign orders for life sustaining treatment;
Page 428:
"(III) provides training for health care professionals across the continuum of care about the goals and use of orders for life sustaining treatment; and
"(IV) is guided by a coalition of stakeholders includes representatives from emergency medical services, emergency department physicians or nurses, state long-term care association, state medical association, state surveyors, agency responsible for senior services, state department of health, state hospital association, home health association, state bar association, and state hospice association.
"(2) A practitioner described in this paragraph is—
"(A) a physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)); and
"(B) a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant who has the authority under State law to sign orders for life sustaining treatments.
"(3)(A) An initial preventive physical examination under subsection (WW), including any related discussion during such examination, shall not be considered an advance care planning consultation for purposes of applying the 5-year limitation under paragraph (1).
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"(B) An advance care planning consultation with respect to an individual may be conducted more frequently than provided under paragraph (1) if there is a significant change in the health condition of the individual, including diagnosis of a chronic, progressive, life-limiting disease, a life-threatening or terminal diagnosis or life-threatening injury, or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long-term care facility (as defined by the Secretary), or a hospice program.
"(4) A consultation under this subsection may include the formulation of an order regarding life sustaining treatment or a similar order.
"(5)(A) For purposes of this section, the term ‘order regarding life sustaining treatment’ means, with respect to an individual, an actionable medical order relating to the treatment of that individual that—
"(i) is signed and dated by a physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or another health care professional (as specified by the Secretary and who is acting within the scope of the professional’s authority under State law in signing such an order, including a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) and is in a form that permits it to stay with the individual and be followed by health care professionals
and providers across the continuum of care;Page 430:
"(ii) effectively communicates the individual’s preferences regarding life sustaining treatment, including an indication of the treatment and care desired by the individual;
"(iii) is uniquely identifiable and standardized within a given locality, region, or State (as identified by the Secretary); and
"(iv) may incorporate any advance directive (as defined in section 1866(f)(3)) if executed by the individual.
"(B) The level of treatment indicated under sub paragraph (A)(ii) may range from an indication for full treatment to an indication to limit some or all or specified interventions. Such indicated levels of treatment may include indications respecting, among other items—
"(i) the intensity of medical intervention if the patient is pulse less, apneic, or has serious cardiac or pulmonary problems;
"(ii) the individual’s desire regarding transfer to a hospital or remaining at the current care setting;
"(iii) the use of antibiotics; and
"(iv) the use of artificially administered nutrition and hydration."
Now this is probably a perfect case of it being easier to throw a bomb, then to actually discuss the merits of a policy. But honestly. Is there any fair reading of this, that even remotely assumes a 'death panel'?
But the basic gist is this. As you near the end of your life, there are options available to you. Here they are, and now Medicare is empowered to pay for those things.
A doctor or a health care counselor, has the professional duty to inform their patient as to what options are available. Whether they wish to spend their final days/years in a hospital or hospice. Whether they wish for heroic means to be taken to preserve their life. Whether they wish for their body to be maintained even if brain activity has ceased to function. This is not evil. This is empowering a patient to make informed decisions.
Those all seem like options that a patient should be made aware of.
Not some scary government directive to kill senior citizens, or children with downs syndrome.
But then again, I think debates over policy should be rational.
-Cheers
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