It's alive! End-of-life counseling in health bill

Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:03 PM EDT
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WASHINGTON — It's alive. The Medicare end-of-life planning provision that 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said was tantamount to "death panels" for seniors is staying in the latest Democratic health care bill unveiled Thursday.

The provision allows Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling to help beneficiaries deal with the complex and painful decisions families face when a loved one is approaching death.

For years, federal laws and policies have encouraged Americans to think ahead about end-of-life decisions, and make their wishes known in advance through living wills and similar legal documents. But when House Democrats proposed this summer to pay doctors for end-of-life counseling, it touched off a wave of suspicion and anger.

Prominent Republicans singled it out as a glaring example of government overreach.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, at the time a lead negotiator on health care legislation, told constituents at a town hall meeting they had good reason to question the proposal.

"I don't have any problem with things like living wills, but they ought to be done within the family," he said. "We should not have a government program that determines you're going to pull the plug on grandma."

Thursday, the sponsor of the provision said the barrage of criticism may have actually helped.

"There is nothing more basic than giving someone the option of speaking with their doctor about how they want to be treated in the case of an emergency," said Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. "I think the outrageous and vindictive attacks may have backfired to help raise awareness about this problem, which is why it's been kept in the bill."

The legislation would allow Medicare to pay for a counseling session with a doctor or clinical professional once every five years. The bill calls for such sessions to be "completely" voluntary, and prohibits the encouragement or promotion of suicide or assisted suicide.

The counseling provision is supported by doctors' groups and AARP, the seniors' lobby. It was not included in health care bills passed by two Senate committees.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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{"commentId":10361048,"authorDomain":"agio"}
agio

This article is a prime example of everything wrong with the AP. Look at the lede:

The Medicare end-of-life planning provision that 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said was tantamount to 'death panels' for seniors is staying in the latest Democratic health care bill unveiled Thursday.

No attempt whatsoever to state that what Sarah Palin said (and many right-winger parroted) was demonstrably false.

{"commentId":10361048,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"agio"}
  • 2 votes
Reply#1 - Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:27 PM EDT
{"commentId":10361660,"authorDomain":"redsfan"}
redsfan

Agreed agio...why not accurately say..."that...Palin lied about"...that would be more accurage...later in the article, it says...

voluntary counseling to help beneficiaries deal with the complex and painful decisions families face when a loved one is approaching death.

Anyone who thinks that this voluntary counseling is a death panel is either terminally ignorant or lying for unknown reasons.

{"commentId":10361660,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"redsfan"}
  • 3 votes
#1.1 - Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:53 PM EDT
{"commentId":10361832,"authorDomain":"agio"}
agio
lying for unknown reasons.

The reasons behind Palin's lies seem pretty apparent to me: money and attention.

{"commentId":10361832,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"agio"}
  • 2 votes
#1.2 - Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:01 PM EDT
{"commentId":10362017,"authorDomain":"redsfan"}
redsfan

True...but I have seem many arguments and lies about health care reform that seem to be motivated purely on stuff like---irrational hatred of President Obama, worry that if health care reform happens Democrats will get credit, belief that people who don't have health insurance are just lazy...weird stuff like that.

{"commentId":10362017,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"redsfan"}
  • 2 votes
#1.3 - Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:09 PM EDT
{"commentId":10362419,"authorDomain":"joeontaylorst"}
joeontaylorstDeleted
{"commentId":10362567,"authorDomain":"agio"}
agio

redsfan, I agree, much of the paranoia surrounding this issue is quite irrational. However, for what it's worth I think Palin knows exactly what she's doing, and it's all about feathering her nest.

{"commentId":10362567,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"agio"}
  • 2 votes
#1.5 - Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:32 PM EDT
{"commentId":10363151,"authorDomain":"ulicnyp001"}
George-369262

At least Robert Reich, Clinton's Labor Secretary, was honest in a 2007 speech, when he said an honest politician would say of nationalized health care; that using technology and drugs to prolong the life of the elderly was too expensive. And that they would be allowed to die...

{"commentId":10363151,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"ulicnyp001"}
    #1.6 - Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:01 PM EDT
    {"commentId":10371767,"authorDomain":"ktandnt"}
    ktandnt

    George - What the heck does that have to do with anything? A guy who hasn't been in the White House for over 13 years???

    The ultra-right will try to say that progressives shouldn't listen to Beck,Hannity, or Limbaugh because they don't hold office. Although, they have a regular and daily audience. And you choose a guy who's only currently claim to fame is some mediocre selling books and a blog?

    No, Palin probably (Hopefully, can't imagine anything that can breath being that ignorant) knew full well what the ammendment said and meant, but she choose to play upon the fears of people who are either old and scared, or young and under educated. She manipulated the truth to get a reaction. She doesn't care about the people she terrified, hurt, or upset, the only she cares about is money and power.

    How many times will the ultra-right let this woman hold the football out, only to let her yank it back at the last moment. Too many people seem to think she is holding something back, and that she will get better. I say that she is what she does and if you think she will improve you are mistaken.

    If the powers that be of the GOP decide that she is their best shot in 2012, I say bring her on, it will only make the Dems job a whole lot easier.

    {"commentId":10371767,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"ktandnt"}
    • 2 votes
    #1.7 - Fri Oct 30, 2009 8:47 AM EDT
    Reply
    {"commentId":10363169,"authorDomain":"amphoto87"}
    AMphoto

    If only that was Palin's ORIGINAL opinion on the matter. Once it had a democrats stamp of approval she was against it.

    {"commentId":10363169,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"amphoto87"}
    • 2 votes
    Reply#2 - Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:02 PM EDT
    {"commentId":10367488,"authorDomain":"eric-albert"}
    Eric Albert

    Can you believe it? I, a social theorist, activists, ends up with Eric Cantor, as my representative, a Zionist, a right wing republican, cheered on by the corporate media and AP. IT SUCKS BIG TIME.

    Two reactionary ideologies, Zionism and American exceptionalism, imperial nationalism, tied to imperial and corporate fascist policies. These reactionary clowns pretend to be "expert" idiots, and AP and the corporate media listen to their nonsense with bated breath......barf.

    {"commentId":10367488,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"eric-albert"}
    • 1 vote
    Reply#3 - Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:45 PM EDT
    {"commentId":10368125,"authorDomain":"Funkpocket"}
    Funkpocket

    If the voluntary counseling it to counsel those who need help coping at the 'end of life', Medicare would be appropriate. If it is used for filling out wills and legal forms, I'm sure doctors have more important jobs to do.

    {"commentId":10368125,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"Funkpocket"}
      Reply#4 - Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:40 PM EDT
      {"commentId":10375075,"authorDomain":"beaone"}
      beaz-435179

      This provision has always been in Medicare and if memory serves, it was put there in part by a republican. Another grow up and do something useful day.

      {"commentId":10375075,"threadId":"712524","contentId":"3440478","authorDomain":"beaone"}
      • 1 vote
      Reply#5 - Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:27 AM EDT
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