Comments on: The Town Where “Death Panels” Started

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Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:51:20 +0000

[...] The Town Where “Death Panels” Started (themoderatevoice.com) [...]

By: Slamfu

Slamfu — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:40:11 +0000

This death panel bs is so typical of conservative PR machines. Take a decent idea(end of life planning in this case), strip it of all context, take the worst possible interpretation of whats left and present that to the public as an example of liberal ideology. I swear every regular FOX news listener I know is convinced there will literally be a group of gov't functionaries deciding your fate if “Obamacare” gets pushed through. The right does this with great frequency and with more gusto than the left by far.

By: D. E.Rodriguez

D. E.Rodriguez — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 02:24:19 +0000

Zzzzz:

My wife and I also have our advance care directives, we are happy we were able to do it, and–the best of all–we didn't have to go before a death panel in order to do it.

Dorian

By: Zzzzz

Zzzzz — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:14:13 +0000

I'm afraid I don't agree. My experience is based on dealing with a relative with Alzheimer's. If he had sat down and told us how he wanted his care handled BEFORE he was unable to communicate, it would have made a world of difference. As it stands, it caused huge fights in our family due to disagreements over what we THINK he would have wanted. No matter what, you end up torn. Would he have wanted every posible treatment to delay death or were we needlessly prolonging his suffering? I have an advance care directive now, as does my spouse. I'm not going to put my family through that kind of conflict and agony. If it also saves healthcare dollars for people who might actually have a chance, then that is all to the good. Resist the temptation to find nefarious intent in everything, DLS. It isn't good for you.

By: The Town Where “Death Panels” Started

The Town Where “Death Panels” Started — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:25:28 +0000

[...] View post: The Town Where “Death Panels” Started [...]

By: GreenDreams

GreenDreams — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:56:06 +0000

“At least, they will make such decisions with lots of compassion and without regard to the bottom line.”

lol. yeah, for sure.

By: D. E.Rodriguez

D. E.Rodriguez — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:37:47 +0000

That should be “pre-exisitng conditions” But, I guess, those inexpensive, all-covering, all-knowing, all-paying private insurance companies have no pre-conditions either?

By: D. E.Rodriguez

D. E.Rodriguez — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:32:52 +0000

Greendreams:

"I do have a solution, though. Since no one on the right seems to care if for-profit insurance companies make such decisions for them, let's contract the private insurance industry to do the rationing. For everyone."

Actually an excellent idea GD, since the insurance companies already make death panel-like decisions when it comes to insurability, pre-conditions, transferabilty, treatments permitted or paid for, etc., etc. At least, they will make such decisions with lots of compassion and without regard to the bottom line.

By: tidbits

tidbits — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:54:00 +0000

Dear Phoenix Phil -

I'm way too dense to understand slippery slope arguments. The only slippery slopes I understand are the ones that cause my ball to roll into a greenside bunker.

Smile. It's a holiday weekend, and you know it's all in good natured fun.

Best regards,

Horsey

By: GreenDreams

GreenDreams — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:26:04 +0000

Unfortunately, I'm convinced by the “death panel” nonsense, that we will NEVER be able to deal rationally with the cost of health care. Who would dare to propose now that we should limit spending on the terminally ill or deny a heart transplant to a 90 year old? There isn't a single expensive procedure or test that could now be considered too costly, when any discussion of limiting the availability of ANY patient to have ANY procedure is boiled down to “death panels” of “government bureaucrats.”

I do have a solution, though. Since no one on the right seems to care if for-profit insurance companies make such decisions for them, let's contract the private insurance industry to do the rationing. For everyone. There. Feel better?

By: DLS

DLS — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:03:17 +0000

Tidbits -- most of us have long known about end-of-care directives, end-of-life care, palliative care, and hospice care, to name some related issues.

It never has been only about these things (in the most superficial and, with proponents, dishonest sense), but about the related politics and what the real and potential consequences of the current health care effort may involve. (I should also again list the examples of apportionment of treatment and hospital ethics boards who may withhold care due to "futility," and rationing and denial of care, as these are pertinent.)

Even merely this (link below) is cause for concern, given who's in Washington and revising health care.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240529702...

By: tidbits

tidbits — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:46:20 +0000

Dorian – Don't let it get out, but I agree with SteveK on this one. Whatever one thinks of health care reform as currently envisioned, the demonization of medical directives and doctors counselling patients is inexcusable, even in our hyper-partisan atmosphere. Thanks for the history.

By: DLS

DLS — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:35:17 +0000

The distortion of the nature of this subject by the Left (which includes “appropriateness” as well as “futility” and the politicization, not merely ethics, of medicine, and a history decades long, as well as of the Obama administration this year, all of which have constituteed substantial facts that raise a number of intelligent concerns) is unsurprising.

I've posted numerous educational links on other threads. Some of us never will be ignorant drones.

By: SteveK

SteveK — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:17:48 +0000

Excellent article Dorian. Advance-care directives are one of the most compassionate new advancements in Medical Treatment. The right's distortion of them and their value is reprehensible.