Committee dumps ‘death panel’ provision
August 15th, 2009From the Los Angeles Times:
The decision was an apparent acknowledgement by Democrats that the proposal had become a lightning rod for critics of the proposed overhaul of the health care system.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had charged that the President wanted to set up “death panels” that would deny health care services to people like her parents and her son with Down syndrome.
Supporters of the plan said the provision was intended to pay doctors who counsel patients about end-of-life care.
The Palin claim about “death panels” was so widely discredited that the White House has begun openly quoting it in an effort to show that opponents of the healthcare overhaul are misinformed.
Palin has defended her claim with a new posting.
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August 18th, 2009 at 9:27 am
I am not sure how Palin can defend the claim. The provision in question merely allows Medicare to reimburse a voluntary counseling session once every five years that provided guidance on how to complete living wills, powers of attorney, etc., as well as educated families about less costly alternatives to expensive nursing home or hospital care, such as hospice. The decisions about end of life care for loved ones clearly remained with families, and it is hard to imagine how educating families about alternatives during such a difficult time is something any reasonable person would oppose.
This is just an example of a politician thinking that if they repeat a lie enough, it will be believed.