Obama Returns to End-of-Life Plan That Caused Stir

[CLANG]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/us/politics/26death.html?src=me&ref=general

WASHINGTON — When a proposal to encourage end-of-life planning touched off a political storm over “death panels,” Democrats dropped it from legislation to overhaul the health care system. But the Obama administration will achieve the same goal by regulation, starting Jan. 1.

Under the new policy, outlined in a Medicare regulation, the government will pay doctors who advise patients on options for end-of-life care, which may include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment.

Congressional supporters of the new policy, though pleased, have kept quiet. They fear provoking another furor like the one in 2009 when Republicans seized on the idea of end-of-life counseling to argue that the Democrats’ bill would allow the government to cut off care for the critically ill.

The final version of the health care legislation, signed into law by President Obama in March, authorized Medicare coverage of yearly physical examinations, or wellness visits. The new rule says Medicare will cover “voluntary advance care planning,” to discuss end-of-life treatment, as part of the annual visit.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. What has this country come to

when politicians are afraid of backing useful legislation because of the lies they expect their opponents to tell?

[msongs]

3. hey it's called bipartisanship now lol nt

[Angry Dragon]

2. brewer and Arizona have already set up their own Death Panels

[jaxx]

4. Death panels have nothing to do with end of life choice.

Seems odd to see them compared.

[Angry Dragon]

6. Yes........You are correct

Then why was it that the palins and others grouped them together when this issue was discussed??
The republicans grouped then, not I.

I was just using the republican line to use against them.
Seemed fair to use their words to show how ignorant they are.

[HockeyMom]

5. My Mom did this

She had terminal cancer. Before she went into the hospital, she saw an attorney and drew up a living will. I was her Health Proxy and she gave me Power of Attorney. She even made all her funeral arrangements in advance.

Mom did not want to become a "science experiment" for the doctors to see how long they could keep her alive. Perhaps the religous right don't like this, but if you think about it, it's simply letting nature/god take it's natural course. Why shouldn't people have a choice over their end of life if at all possible? What is wrong with this?

[RKP5637]

7. It all makes sense to me! n/t

[jwirr]

8. I have one for both myself and my disabled daughter. I am her guardian

and it is vital that we state prior to reaching the emergency room what it is we want to have done to us. If you come to the emergency room without directions for the medical personnel then they have to put every life saving device they have on you even if it does not improve your life only prolong it. I for one do not want either of us laying in a nursing home like a vegetable for years after we would have died naturally without that kind of care. This document is merely a chance to tell them what you want to do in an emergency when death is threatening.