>> Now Steele and Grassley have cynically climbed on the bandwagon, along with Newt.
There are several issues involved here.
First, the Sec 1233 provision that requires Medicare to pay for end of life consultations. Yes, there has been confusion on this point, but I don't see anyone currently talking about this in the context that it is "required" anymore. This confusion was part of the sausage-making that IS complicated legislation.
But the real concern is over this insidious "committee" that will weigh the "value" of procedures against the quality of life that may be attained by having that procedure. This was the topic when Obama referred to his grandmother's hip replacement.
This is where they determine "quality adjusted life years" -- a term heretofore used in the medical literature to measure outcomes. This bill would codify such language as a determinant of what procedures may and may not be paid for.
Now, Obama says this isn't so -- that they won't use it that way, that the committee would be "advisory" only -- but that claim is totally inconsistent with his other statements WRT end of life care consuming all these Medicare dollars.
I honestly don't know whether Medicare can be made fiscally workable without curtailing end of life care, and I'm open to that possibility. But I want an HONEST analysis of the situation, NOT Obama lying through his teeth to get what he wants.
All I've really complained about in this process is the lack of honesty on the part of the administration and the liberals who are trying to shove a bill down our throats like they did the stimulus, like they tried to do with cap/trade, like cash for clunkers, etc. If we get an honest debate and people decide that some curtailment of end of life care is necessary, fine.
What this entire situation does, however, is to point up the core problem -- which is that once you create one of these giant government programs, you guarantee failure. Absolutely guarantee it -- because while expenditures increase year after year, you simply cannot "fix" it once it gets out of control, because it is a third-rail issue and will be demagogued -- just as Obama is now doing with his "Mediscare" tactic. |
