Myth 18: Proposed health care reform will not hasten the death of seniors, cancer patients, and disabled persons.
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 6:54PM The phrase “death panel” does not actually occur in any of the proposed “health care reform” bills. MoveOn.org has seized on Sarah Palin’s characterization of the outcome of “reform” in its mass email piece entitled “Top Five Health Care Reform Lies: and How to Fight Back”:
“Lie #1: President Obama wants to euthanize your grandma!!!”
When asked about the end-of-life counseling provision at an AARP-sponsored “tele-town hall,” Obama grinned and told the woman called “Mary”: “I guarantee you, first of all we just don’t have enough government workers to talk to everybody to find out how they want to die” (Judi McLeod, Canada Free Press 8/13/09).
This argument is a straw man.
In fact, neither the President nor cadres of government workers would be doing the job personally, and euthanasia is not being discussed. Rather, the bills “incentivize” doctors to “counsel” patients about “options”—which must include orders to withhold life-sustaining “treatment,” such as food and water.
While signing a directive to withhold treatment or food and water, or to implement a “do not resuscitate” order, may be voluntary, suggestible patients may bow to white-coated authority, especially when the directive is presented to them to sign immediately. Vulnerable patients may be especially susceptible to guilt-provoking scenarios, such as being a burden on their families.
The counseling provision has been removed from one of the Senate bills, but many believe the enabling legislation for treatment denial is already law, in the Stimulus Package, as comparative effectiveness research. While proponents denied that there was any intention to turn this into cost-effectiveness research, an amendment to codify that reassurance into law was defeated. This “research” program is supposed to collect information on every medical visit by every patient for a national electronic database.
This is the infrastructure for a program like Britain’s NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence), which determines the dollar value of a Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY). NICE allows payment for treatments that cost less than that, and disallows treatments that cost more.
Doctors who want to violate the “voluntary guidelines” will likely have to appeal—to a body that is not called a “death panel” (Greg Scandlen, American Spectator 8/13/09).
What are the beliefs and principles of the leading reformers? Obama himself has said, “Maybe you’re better off not having the surgery but taking the painkiller.”
As Betsy McCaughey points out, prominent Administration advisor Ezekiel Emanuel, M.D., “believes that ‘communitarianism’ should guide care. He says that medical care should be reserved for the non-disabled, not given to those ‘who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens.... An obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia’ (Hastings Center Report, November/December 1996)” (NY Post 7/24/09).
More recently, Emanuel and others write that they “recommend an alternate system, the ‘complete lives system,’ which prioritises younger people who have not yet lived a complete life, and also incorporates prognosis, saves the most lives, lottery, and instrumental value principles” (Lancet 2009;273:423-431).
This system “produces a priority curve on which individuals aged between roughly 15 and 40 years get the most chance, whereas the youngest and oldest people get chances that are attenuated.”
Obama’s regulatory czar Cass Sunstein, who will play a major role in defining government’s role in controlling medical care, prefers the QALY formula (Joseph Ashby, American Thinker 8/15/09).
Seniors are worried. Having lost about 60,000 members, AARP is back-pedaling on its endorsement of the reform push (Wall St J 8/21/09).
It’s not just seniors who are worried. There are also the 10 million American cancer patients whose access to expensive treatments may be cut off, as it routinely is in Britain. In addition, progress in treatments may stall because of the likelihood that new technology can never repay the cost of development (Wall St J 7/31/09).
The highly touted Oregon health plan already denies payment for advanced chemotherapy, but offers to buy physician-assisted suicide instead.
Then there’s the “Death Book for Veterans,” entitled Your Life, Your Choices. The primary author is Robert Pearlman, who in 1996 advocated for physician-assisted suicide before the U.S. Supreme Court in Vacco v. Quill, and is known to support rationing of medical care. The 52-page book presents choices in a way that steers users to predetermined conclusions, like a political “push poll.” Withdrawn from the VA by the Bush White House, the book has been resuscitated by the Obama Administration. The only organization listed in the updated version as a resource on advance directives is Compassion and Choices (formerly the Hemlock Society). A July 2009 directive instructs VA primary physicians to raise advance planning issues, using this book, with all patients, not just the aged or debilitated (Jim Towey, Wall St J ).
An angry disabled Marine veteran shared his views at a recent town hall with Congressman Brian Baird.
Hospice Patients Alliance, led by Ron Panzer, is concerned that U.S. federal and state government are already trying to balance budgets by hastening deaths, without raising the issue of explicit euthanasia. In the UK, where euthanasia is illegal, continuous deep sedation (CDS) may account for as many as one in six deaths (BBC News 8/12/09).
Palin quotes NY State Senator Ruben Diaz, a Democrat, chairman of the Aging Committee: “Section 1233 of [H.R.] 3200 puts our senior citizens on a slippery slope and may diminish respect for the inherent dignity of each of their lives” (Hawaii Free Press 8/12/09).
To the consternation of the Obama Administration and congressional Democrats, many Americans have shown up at tea parties and town halls with symbols warning about where that slippery slope has led before.
Daniel Greenfield observes the similarity in thoughts expressed by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel and Dr. Hermann Pfannmüller, who stood trial at Nuremberg for his Starvation Hospitals for those he deemed unfit:
“The idea is unbearable to me that the best, the flower of our youth must lose its life at the front in order that feebleminded and irresponsible asocial elements can have a secure existence in the asylum.”
Pfannmüller preferred the “simpler, more natural” method of starvation to poisons or injections, which might supply “inflammatory material” for the foreign press.
“[A]t the heart of the difference between socialized medicine and free market health care,” writes Greenfield, is that “in the free market no one gets to class an entire category of people as “Life Unworthy of Life” (Canada Free Press 7/28/09).
Greenfield notes that it takes time for the consequences of changing from an individual to a collective morality to become manifest. “Most systems don’t turn monstrous over the weekend. Even Nazi Germany took nearly a decade to follow through on to the logical conclusion....” (Canada Free Press 8/11/09).
General Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered extensive photographs of those consequences to be taken, predicting that in 60 years some would try to deny that the events ever happened.
Additional information:
- “Futilitarianism,” AAPS News, July 2005.
- “Dependency and Death,” AAPS News, June 2005.
- “Why Terri Schiavo Had to Die,” AAPS News, May 2005.
- “The Holocaust Memorial, Ayn Rand, and Politics in Pre-Revolutionary New York: Lessons for Today,” by Joseph M. Scherzer, M.D., presented at AAPS annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, Oct 8, 1993
Reader Comments (12)
Looking more and more like Logan's Run to Me.
Everybody got their government-issue life clock?
Setting aside the repugnant behaviors of today’s politicians (Democrats & Republicans)… Forget what you think you hear, stop listening to the madness and rhetoric being spewed by our career politicians, and listen to your heart and use the common sense that god gave you! Stop trying to take a side and take a stand… How can it possibly make any sense to dismantle what has arguably become the finest medical deliver system in the world in hopes that a group of irresponsible career politicians can do this better and more affordable than educated and experienced healthcare professionals? The fact is, they can’t, we know this because of several undisputed reasons: 1. Social Security, on paper and in theory a pretty good idea, and to date our folks in Washington have not been able to keep their collective fingers out of that cookie jar, so it’s broke… 2. We have almost 600 so called leaders ready to march us all down a path, that at the end of the day, they be the only ones not participating in this new and glorious program… 3. HMO’s, didn’t we see that coming? Back in the 70’s when the new better deal was HMO’s, because they were going to give us so much more, for so much less, and any intelligent person today knows how that story ended. I am sure my list could go on for several pages. Let’s save that for another time… Do we have issues, YES… Do we need immediate reform, YES… Do we care about anyone who loses their insurance or who cannot afford insurance, YES! Do you really want to toss out what we know we have for a program our fearless leaders can’t begin to consistently or competently describe… I hope not…
I Agree with end of life counseling. Too much money is spent on end of life futile measures. Many have a few precious months left but the family doesn't get it and why should we pay the exhorbitant cost.
Ir's all a move to take full control of and destroy America.
anything and everything healthy will be outlawed.
edicare is slated to be broke by 2017 so why would any sane person believe they can run anything labeled health care ?
Impeach the whole damn bunch of communists from all political offices nothing but lies is all it is !!
I totally disagree with the GOVERNMENT mandating END OF LIFE COUNSELLING. It was such 'a mentality' that was used on my father in the 80's by the VA administration (refusing to give him LIFE SAVING TREATMENT) that ended his life. THe doctors did not show one white of compassion, or remorse!
As I and my OWN children will be subjected to that same 'treatment' (simply because we have Aspergers), I am LIVID with anger.
And for the record in SCHIP, they refuse to cover children with Autism (VERFIED by Senator KENNEDY'S office before he died)
AND according to HR 2413 and S 819 (The Autistics treatment accelerated act) all people with autism (irregardless of whether or not they have private insurance(irrgardless of whether or not they are High or Low funcitoning) must sign a MANDETORY REGISTRY and SUBMIT to being under SURVEILENCE (via MONITORING SERVICES as though THEY were the criminals instead of the child abusers even NOW being protected under the hate crimes act))
IN short, under no circumstances will I allow a government agency to treat myself, my children, and millions of people in the US with Aspergers and Autism as the "NEW JEWS OF NUREMBURG"!
I hope I am around Tom when he is 90 yrs old and denied food and water!!! My mother is 96, just went thru a knee replacement surgery, the Dr had us sign a waiver in case she did not come thru. She had already had her "counseling" from many Drs over the years and signed a DNR. She had been in excruciating pain with her knee, the Dr did not want to operate due to her age and possible weak heart..she told him "I would rather be dead than live with this constant pain". When the Dr came out of surgery he could not believe what he found that no exray had picked up on....The screws from her broken leg eight yrs earlier, had completely gone thru her kneecap. The Doc was totally amazed at her high pain threshold and was glad he did the surgery. She had been telling them for 7 1/2 yrs something was pushing thru her knee!!!!!
The hospital in my area asks at the admission center if you have a liveing will. My answer is yes. They ask for a copy and it is kept in you file.
I don't think that anything else need be done to clarify my intentions.
When is comes to diagnostic, I want to know what is wrong with me and what all can be done to help me sustain and active life before I commit to any wild decisions.
I don't want to be denied any testing or treatment if it will sustain me.My God will help me with that decision and if I am not capable my husband or my children will help.
I don't want government intervention in my life. There is too much of that already.
First there were Tea Parties. Then came the Town Hall meetings. I would like to propose the preemptive organization of Political Death Panel demonstrations, to be set into motion should this terrible plan with its unconstitutional mandates be forced upon all Americans. In my written communication with my senators and congressmen, I am including the admonition, ".....should HR 3200 be forced through, those responsible will be receiving "End of Your Political Life" counseling notices from their constituents."
Perhaps compose a brochure, using the Veteran Administration's "Your Life Your Choices" questionaire as a model. In this case, the questionnaire and text would have the theme "End of Your Political Life, Reflections and Regrets." I think it should be sent out now to everyone who participated in writing, promoting and advancing HR3200.
Both the Hill and the White House have been sending signals that their intention is to pass this bill, in one form or another, using any means necessary, regardless of substantial citizen opposition. But pass or no pass, I think the time, energy and money that proponents have wasted fabricating and marketing yet another pseudo-crisis should invoke a harsh and unforgiving response from the dissenting public. They need the "Counseling" now, before they "Pass."
DuraMater
I totally agree with ALL comments especially Dura Mater's request for an "End of YOUR Political Life " Brochure for politicians involved in passing this bill!
This site is pitiful. The counseling is already a part of healthcare. No one wants to kill Grandma. The people stirring up the fear about 'death counseling' have another agenda.
Why not just admit you want Obama to fail, regardless of the cost to the country? If you are honest about your motives, you will see. Quit being afraid.
I have a living will that states "no actions are to be taken to resucitate me, no food, no water, just pain medication. My representative will not notify my family until after my cremation & ashes have been disposed of. They have shunned me in life and I will not share my last moments with them.
My mother-in-law made & paid for her funeral arrangements, purchased her grave; all her son had to do was purchase marker. He has never gone to see if it was even installed. She dedicated her life to him; this is how he thanked her. She had the right idea; take care of the details before you need them. At least your last requests will be done the way you want.
Oh yes the goverment already has these people in place... I have a friend who uses a natural inhaler and Armour natural thyroid.... Yep, the company that makes these particulars has been shut down!!!! By the Obama administration.... They would'nt even let the company notify anyone until they had finished the job!!!! Don't tell me that there is not a Death Panel in place!!!!!!!!