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tazzygirl -> RE: bizzare med law cant be repealed?? (12/22/2009 9:48:54 AM)
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Hi Lady Ellen
Rationing... yes.. there is already.. and will continue to be more in the future.
A little background work will show that the first coinage of death panels was made by no other than the NY Times, back in 1977, when the passage of advanced directives were in full swing. Yet, they are now the industry standard, one of the first questions you are asked about when you are seeing a Dr, admitted to a hospital, seen in an ER or going in for surgery.
quote:
Change Social Values Regarding Cost-Inducing Activities
A. Encourage Adoption of "Living Wills"
The "Living Will" concept allows patients to legally require the cessation of the employment of
extraoridnary means to prolong life when there is irrefutable evidence that biological death is
imminent. The first such law was enacted in California in September 1966, and legislators in 16
other States sought to delineate rights for the terminally ill during that year. The statutes make
provision for a person to declare in advance what he would wish done if he should reach a moribund
condition and be incapable of expressing his wishes. It relieves the physician and/or
health facility of any liability. Prior to passage in California, 87 percent of persons polled there
thought that an incurably ill patient should ha the right to refuse life-prolonging medication.
Encouraging States to pass such a law or, more strongly, withholding Federal funds without
passage would serve to heighten public awareness of the use of such resources and would also
lower health spending when such wills are executed.
The strong response to the Karen Ann Quinlan case demonstrates that such encouragement
would result in some negative public reaction. Although the Catholic Church ruled that extraordinary
measures need not be employed, there is still religious resistance to this concept.
The cost-savings from a nationwide push toward "Living Wills" is likely to be enormous. Over
one-fifth of Medicare expenditures are for persons in their last year of life. Thus, in FY 1978, $4.9
billion will be spent for such persons and if just one-quarter of these expenditures were avoided
through adoption of "Living Wills," the savings under Medicare alone would amount to $1.2
billion. Additional Federal savings would accrue to Medicaid and the VA and Defense Department
health programs.
http://media.npr.org/assets/blogs/health/images/2009/11/Derzonmemo.pdf
Living wills, as you can see, are designed to give medical personel an indication of the patients desires beyond family and legal issues. Something to base the stoppage of heroic measures upon, allowing Physicians to determine when enough is enough, beyond the monetary and legal system.
This IS a form of rationing, determined by the person who is being "rationed" too... and something that was bitterly contested and fought against from the beginning. IF its a death panel, its one the patient actively sits upon and agrees too, even stipulating to the medical community their wishes and when to "stop".
I believe most people are expecting limitations, costs and waiting periods. For those who have no access to medical care at this time, its more than what they have. For those who have access, they are whining about having to wait. For those with money invested into these insurance companies, they are whining about how much money they will lose. Someone will always whine about something.
We have turned into a society of sneeches. Problem is, no one seems to remember who did and who didnt, and dont want to look at who is getting rich off the whole problem.
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