AP FACT CHECK: No 'death panel' in health care bill

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.seiu.org/2009/08/shock-corporate-advocates-who-break-the-law-dont-want-to-be-punished.php

12:39 PM Eastern - August 10, 2009

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press Writer
« Washington AP

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin says the health care overhaul bill would set up a "death panel." Federal bureaucrats would play God, ruling on whether ailing seniors are worth enough to society to deserve life-sustaining medical care. Palin and other critics are wrong.

Nothing in the legislation would carry out such a bleak vision. The provision that has caused the uproar would instead authorize Medicare to pay doctors for counseling patients about end-of-life care, if the patient wishes. Here are some questions and answers on the controversy:

Q: Does the health care legislation bill promote "mercy killing," or euthanasia?

A: No.

Q: Then what's all the fuss about?

A: A provision in the House bill written by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., would allow Medicare to pay doctors for voluntary counseling sessions that address end-of-life issues. The conversations between doctor and patient would include living wills, making a close relative or a trusted friend your health care proxy, learning about hospice as an option for the terminally ill, and information about pain medications for people suffering chronic discomfort.

The sessions would be covered every five years, more frequently if someone is gravely ill.

Q: Is anything required?

Monsignor Charles Fahey, 76, a Catholic priest who is chairman of the board of the National Council on Aging, a nonprofit service and advocacy group, says no.

FULL story at link.

[yourout]

1. What the right is preaching on this is a flat out lie and no one is calling it what it is.

Not that I am suprised.

[Catshrink]

4. Steph called Newtie on it yesterday.

I was surprised to see Steph keep going at Newtie about his exaggerations and outright lies. Newtie was speechless. Newtie called Rahm Emmanuel's brother Obama's "Chief Health Advisor", Steph told him the bro. didn't work for Obama and the articles Newtie was referring to were several years old. It went on.

[NightWatcher]

2. no shit, er I mean k and r

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

3. If you're getting your health care advice from that dingbat...

...no amount of facts or logic are going to convince you. Seriously, who except the teabaggers listens to her any more?

[Bleacher Creature]

5. What has become of this country when stupidity needs to be fact checked?

[tavalon]

7. Be grateful that they are fact checking

It's almost a dying art with "journalists" these days.

[City Lights]

8. +1!

Oh how far we've fallen. :-(

[tavalon]

6. No shit! You're kidding!

:eyes:

[Wednesdays]

9. K&R

:kick:

[Omaha Steve]

10. Kick