Okay help me out: Medicare & Death Panels

[Homer12]

So we alreay have a government run program that provides healthcare to elderly people.

If this is the case shouldn't there be death panels set up already?

[DesertFlower]

1. it all stems from the provision that

medicare will pay for you to have a consultation with a doctor about end of life choices.

IMO this should be done when you're young. we did our living wills when we were in our 40s.

[RoccoR5955]

2. Let me set you straight, once and for all.

Medicare is a program that provides care for senior citizens over age 65.

Death panels are a myth that was concocted by the Healthcare Lobby. They do not exist. They are referring to an amendment that was added to the bill, posed by a REPUBLICAN congressman, to have Medicare pay for a consultation regarding end of life decisions. These decisions include, not exclusively, removing someone from life support, stopping medication (except for pain meds), keeping someone on life support, keeping up all medication, and other types of things that people reaching the end of their lives should make decisions about. The proposal was to pay for such a consultation with a physician. Currently, it is not.

[Lasher]

3. Death Panels

[Frances]

4. I fell guilty

because I have the public option: medicare!

I think anyone against the public option should have to sign a document saying that they will get and pay for private insurance for the duration of their life.

[justgamma]

5. The Republicans put them in

the Medicare drug bill they passed in 2003. It is almost the same as in the new bill, so they know damn well they are lying their asses off.

[bluedeminredstate]

6. Well, of course.

Ask a rightwing nutter that very question the next time they mention "death panels" and gummint-based healthcare.