How many Schiavo's per year? What's all this going to cost?

[gulliver]

Has anyone discussed what this latest Republican malfeasance is going to do to health care costs? I wonder if the lame-o's the Republicans sell their drivel to realize that "Keep Terry Alive" translates to "Keep Everyone Remotely Resembling Terry Alive and Hang the Cost."

If there is one thing Republicans love more than posturing, it's money. How much is it going to cost to add an annex to every hospital just for the permanently vegetative? And all of it just so the pubbies can score a political point with Right to Lifers.

Worst Congress ever. Braindead Congress.

[ohio_liberal]

1. Start building the warehouses

We're going to need them for all those Alzheimer patients.

[salin]

2. Of course they don't want that, heck W as governor signed a law

that does the opposite. If I am correct he passed a law that allows a hospital to pull the plug if it is deemed that there is no chance of recovery... and that the hospital could do so over the families' objections. Notice how silent the repub congress is on the situation in Texas where a 68 year old man on life support is about to be unplugged by the hospital over the family's objections.

This, like everything else they do, is about showboating and scoring "political points" and has nothing to do with policy.

[Mr_Spock]

3. Interesting point - money or forcing living dead?

Maybe we'll get some new government benefit for keeping our folks on life support!!! It's only fair - right? Or should only rich people be able to keep their living corpses alive (witness baby in Texas)?

[zanne]

4. They've added an amendment to the bill.

They're going to "discuss" this next month. Wanna bet the Schiavo case is an "exception"?

[femme.democratique]

5. No, this is part of the Frist plan to make money off of suffering!

Keep the veggies alive and generating money for Big Medicine! Unless, that is, they don't have insurance which means they don't get the benefits of this "Ownership Society" (fyi what that really means is the government owns you).

After all, Cat Killer Frist he does own a chain of hospitals...

[Mr.Green93]

6. Good idea,

we need to know how much of our finite health care dollars are being spent on cases with no chance of productive recovery.

[snippy]

7. Republicans have said the Schiavo case "is a great political issue."

GOP memo says issue offers political rewards

By The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — Republican leaders believe their attention to the Terri Schiavo issue could pay dividends with Christian conservatives whose support they covet in the 2006 midterm elections, according to a GOP memo intended to be seen only by senators.

The one-page memo, distributed to Republican senators by party leaders, called the debate over Schiavo legislation "a great political issue" that would appeal to the party's base, or core, supporters. The memo singled out Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who is up for re-election next year.

"This is an important moral issue, and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue," said the memo, reported by ABC News and later given to The Washington Post. "This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a co-sponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002213728_memo20.html(emphasis added).

If the republican party is correct that this case will benefit them politically, then there will be more such cases, especially in election years.