Death counselling... government pays your doc to encourage you to die sooner.

[Patriot]

Talk about a scam against the elderly!  One doesn' try to keep good policy from the public!

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

By ROBERT PEAR
Published: December 25, 2010

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...

..."The infamous Section 1233 is still alive and kicking," Ms. Wickham said. "Patients will lose the ability to control treatments at the end of life..."

...Mr. Blumenauer, the author of the original end-of-life proposal, praised the rule as "a step in the right direction..."

...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...

...After learning of the administration's decision, Mr. Blumenauer's office celebrated "a quiet victory," but urged supporters not to crow about it...

"While we are very happy with the result, we won't be shouting it from the rooftops because we aren't out of the woods yet," Mr. Blumenauer's office said in an e-mail in early November to people working with him on the issue. "This regulation could be modified or reversed, especially if Republican leaders try to use this small provision to perpetuate the 'death panel' myth."

Moreover, the e-mail said: "We would ask that you not broadcast this accomplishment out to any of your lists, even if they are 'supporters' — e-mails can too easily be forwarded."

The e-mail continued: "Thus far, it seems that no press or blogs have discovered it, but we will be keeping a close watch and may be calling on you if we need a rapid, targeted response. The longer this goes unnoticed, the better our chances of keeping it."


Full story:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/us/politics/26death.html

[sodbuster]

As an addendum to Patriots post, I would like to add that the government already pays for your doctor to discuss advance directives or so called end of life counseling if you have Tricare (Military Health Care). As do many private insurance companies. I am glad I had an advance directive this year when I needed it. Kept the government or anyone else from making my care decisions for me. This is not a comment on Patriot's post just my experience with Advance Directives which I recommend to all.



Living Wills and Advance Directives


An advance directive tells your doctor what kind of care you would like to have if you become unable to make medical decisions.  By creating an advance directive, you are making your preferences about medical care known before you're faced with a serious injury or illness.  Advance directives can take many forms.

One type of advance directive is a living will.  It is a written, legal document that describes the kind of medical or life-sustaining treatments you would want, should you become seriously or terminally ill.  A living will doesn't let you select someone to make decisions for you, that type of advance directive is known as power of attorney.

You and your designated family members should discuss the use of advance directives, both living wills and durable powers of attorney, with your provider at the earliest opportunity.  TRICARE instructs its providers to abide by all decisions made by you and/or your designated representatives within the limits of the law and medical ethics.  Once signed, your advance directives will become a part of your medical record and move with you through various care settings.

http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/home/Medical/RightsAndResponsibilities/WillsAdvanceDirectives