Mandatory End of Life Counseling for Seniors
Concerning this post: I head this story originally on the Sean Hannity show this afternoon. I believed him. But then again, I heard him say Neda, the young lady who was shot in Tehran protesting against their dictator, was 16 years old when I knew for a fact that she was 26 or 27. I have now searched the health care bill for info on end of life counseling and I cannot find a thing. I do believe there was some truth to what Hannity said today, but it must have been in a previous mark up of the bill. If anyone can confirm this, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Brian (from the Up Blog)
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One of the most outrageous mandates in the Democratic health care bill is found on page 416. On this page, you will see mandatory “end of life” counseling for seniors every five years. With this counseling, they will be spoken to about the different end of life choices that can be undertaken.
This is crazy. How could some Democrat not get an amendment approved during committee to remove this page of the new health care legislation?
This is only one outrage contained in this bill. If Obama has his way, forcing this bill to be voted on next week without members and citizens to actually see what is in it, we will definitely be surprised the next time we try to go see a doctor.
Call Democrat Mike Ross and ask him to stop this bill in committee. Also tell him you’ll donate to his campaign and do so, after he stops this bill. The energy committee must pass the bill to get it to the floor. There are many conservative Dems on that committee. Only 7 are needed to kill it. They had 10 yesterday. They need your support. Two other committees already passed it today. We need to call today. Also, can someone else post the names of other blue dog Dems on that committee? Thanks.
You can see the entire 1018 page health care bill here.
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I don’t see anything of the kind on page 416. Please copy-paste the relevent text.
Hey crazieman, I don’t see it either. I never would have posted the bill on my site if I had thought it wasn’t in there. I look like a boob now, if only for the reason that I believed Sean Hannity today.
Anyone can make the mistake of listening to someone on the radio and believing them. I apologize. I do believe this to be a bad bill and believe that something like that was in one of the previous mark ups of the bill, but I’d have to see proof now.
To quote the Who, I won’t be fooled again, or at least I hope not.
Look on page 426, perhaps that is what was being referenced.
Try pages 126 & 127
Sorry, I meant 426 & 427
Yea, we sure wouldn’t want anyone to explain to people that they have the right to have a “living will” or draft an “advanced medical directive” giving or denying their health care providers the legal ability to take certain actions on their behalf and whatever we do, we don’t want people to know that they have the right to grant someone “power of attorney” to make medical decisions on their behalf in case they are unable (incapacitated.)
We also don’t want to let people onto the fact that they can choose to take or pass on medical care or take an alternative like hospice care when the time comes.
It’s much, much better to wait until they are in the hospital or dealing with a terminal disease to make them aware of what options they have.
As an attorney, one of the first things I did upon graduating from law school, was to have my parents draft a living will and sign advance medical directives explaining what their exact wishes were concerning their medical care and giving my brother, sister and myself their power of attorney to allow us to make decisions for them in case they couldn’t. (If you don’t do these things, you could end up like Terri Schiavo with no one in the family with direct authority to act on your behalf.)
The actual language of the statute (which btw is amending the current Medicare Act) is on pages 426-431. It in no way has anything to do with assisted suicide or any of the other “horrors” which the Sean Hannity’s of the world are simply making up. It requires that people receive “counseling” in regard to their rights and options in regard to all of their medical care, not just “end of life.” (IN fact, I don’t even remember the terminology “end of life” even appearing in the language, but it’s possible I missed it.)
lawboy,
I certainly agree a “living will” or “advanced medical directive” is important and have taken care to update such as my life circumstances have changed. That the proposal mentions these as part of the counseling, I applaud the measure. But, can one not wonder that attorneys will be brought on board … I’d sure like to know if they will be compensated under a Medicare fee schedule for their services as physicians and other providers of medical care are now and will be?
As to “end-of-life” counseling, and your final paragraph, I beg to support the line of thinking (“horrors”) that you refer to.
I had sought out the proposal at: http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090714/aahca.pdf.
You did miss the terminology “end of life”. Please refer to pg. 426, (E): “An explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title.” That sections make reference to “the State”, I could perceive this to refer to a state in which physician-assisted suicide is legal, like Oregon, and those that aren’t…and wonder that the document further refers to “goals and use of orders for life sustaining treatment” … I question if the goals are those of the patient and/or their decision maker, or the government and a favorable (non-drain on the system) outcome? I am concerned too on page 30, “Such indicated levels of treatment may include indications respecting, among other items— (i) the intensity of medical intervention if the patient is pulse less, apneic, or has serious cardiac or pulmonary problems…” I wonder what will define “serious”?
I can see the potential horrors many as you say “are simply making up” because of this portion of the proposal.
I don’t believe that this counseling is ‘mandatory’. From what I’ve read, it’s a covered benefit every 5 years, unless the health of the insured changes, at which time additional benefits could be paid. This means the plan would pay for counseling, but not require it.
I’ve received a few emails from people who obviously believe the bologna spouted by Hannity and others. Sheesh, people, use your brains!
The terminology “end-of-life” appears on page 426.
Well in the first place if you listen to Sean Hannity then don’t expect the truth. What is wrong with giving people end of life counseling. Many people already do that on their own. It gives a person a chance to explore how much they want put into preserving their life with extraordinary measures even when in a coma etc. This allows people to make decisions about how they would like to spend their final days whether in a hospital or at home or hospice. It allows people to make these decisions while they are still mentally capable and frees relatives from having to make decisions in highly emotional times and without knowing the patient’s wishes. No one is forcing people to make a certain decision but gives them their options. Our society is adverse to talking about death, but most people actually want to be able to talk about it before it comes.