Fox's death book lie

[Political Junky]

Daily Kos: State of the Nation

Fox's "death book" lie
by Jed Lewison


Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 0803 AM PDT

The deathers at Fox "News" have been caught with their pants down, once again.

This time -- led by Chris Wallace of Fox "News" Sunday -- Fox is alleging that President Obama is trying to prematurely end the lives of millions of veterans by forcing them to read a "death book" that urges them to "pull the plug" and commit "assisted suicide."

Not surprisingly, it turns out that Fox's attack is totally made up. Their so-called "death book" is actually an optional guidebook on drafting living wills that had been listed in a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) handbook by the Bush administration in 2007.



Here's more detail on the garbage being spewed by Fox:

1. Fox's alleged "death book" is actually a guidebook on preparing living wills

The thing Fox is calling a "death book" is actually a guidebook called "Your life, your choices" initially developed in 1997 to help veterans understand issues relating to advance directives and living wills should they ever experience a medical condition (such as a permanent coma) where they cannot communicate their treatment preferences. Although the guidebook can be downloaded, it carries a disclaimer noting that is currently being updated and revised for a 2010 release. (See this article for more information on the revisions.)

Despite Fox's claim that the guide encourages assisted suicide and euthanasia, it is solely focused on helping veterans determine what type of care they wish to receive if they should ever became incapable of making their wishes known. The guidebook specifically makes clear that it has nothing to do with assisted suicide, which is illegal.

2. Although Fox said VHA practitioners must give the guidebook to each of the 24 million vets they serve, there is no such requirement

According to a directive issued in 2007 under President Bush, the guidebook is merely an example of the type of document that VHA practitioners should give to patients who ask for help with living wills.

3. The Bush administration, not the Obama administration, included the guidebook in the VHA handbook.

In February 2007 the Bush administration's VA issued a directive listing the guidebook as an example of the type of documents VHA practitioners should give to patients who want help drafting living wills. In July 2009, the Obama administration issued a minor update to portions of that directive, but did not language on the guidebook at all.

Here's a comparison of the language contained in the Bush directive of February 2007 and the Obama update of July 2009. <more>

 

[bodecea]

I'm shocked!

 

[EriktheRed]

Not a good idea to post direct to DKos here. The cons will just ignore it like we ignore NewsMax and WorldNutDaily.

Better to just summarize and post the supporting links from the diary.

 

[Xenophon]

I'm shocked you are stupid enough to listen to Daily Kos.

I saw the show, Wallace asked why the book is referened on the web site, and was told (by a member of the administration) that it is not 'recommended' but by law it has to remain as it was PAID FOR BY GOVERNMENT FUNDS.

Wallace also read passages from the book THAT HE WAS HOLDING that asked ludicrous questions such as 'do you feel life is not worth living' and asked vets to check a box to indicate it was not.

When will you start to understand that Daily Kos is a shill for the administration, that these people will say and do ANYTHING to support their party?

 

[Emma]

Yeah, it's a lie.

We've been required to provide patients with information on advance directives for years now.

 

[EriktheRed]

I'm shocked you are stupid enough to listen to Daily Kos.

I saw the show, Wallace asked why the book is referened on the web site, and was told (by a member of the administration) that it is not 'recommended' but by law it has to remain as it was PAID FOR BY GOVERNMENT FUNDS.

Wallace also read passages from the book THAT HE WAS HOLDING that asked ludicrous questions such as 'do you feel life is not worth living' and asked vets to check a box to indicate it was not.

When will you start to understand that Daily Kos is a shill for the administration, that these people will say and do ANYTHING to support their party?

See what I mean, PJ?

 

[Political Junky]

Not a good idea to post direct to DKos here. The cons will just ignore it like we ignore NewsMax and WorldNutDaily.

Better to just summarize and post the supporting links from the diary.

Unfortunately, no wingnut publications reported on the falsity of the death book, I searched.

 

[Emma]

So Daily KOS isn't a source.

Fine.

In 1990, Congress passed the Patient Self-Determination Act. It required healthcare institutions to tell patients and the people in their communities about their rights under Virginia law to make decisions about their medical care. These rights include the right to accept or refuse care and the right to make advance directives about their care.

Virginia Hospital Center : Information on Advanced Directives

Most hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and HMO's routinely provide information on advance directives at the time of admission.

They are required to do so under a federal law called the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA).

The PSDA simply requires that most health care institutions (but not individual doctors) do the following:

1. Give you at the time of admission a written summary of:

your health care decision-making rights (Each state has developed such a summary for hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies to use.)
the facility's policies with respect to recognizing advance directives.


2. Ask you if you have an advance directive, and document that fact in your medical record if you do. (It is up to you to make sure they get a copy of it).


3. Educate their staff and community about advance directives.


4. Never discriminate against patients based on whether or not they have an advance directive. Thus, it is against the law for them to require either that you have or not have an advance directive.

Health Care Advance Directives: What is the Patient Self-Determination Act? (ABA Division for Public Education)

The requirements of the Patient Self-Determination Act are deceptively simple. In spite of their apparent simplicity they carry profound implications for the way healthcare is practiced. The law mandates that, in those healthcare institutions which receive Medicare or Medicaid funding, patients must be informed in writing upon admission of (1) their right to accept or refuse treatment, (2) their rights under existing state laws regarding advance directives, and (3) any policies which the institution has regarding the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatments.(1) The institutions are also required to engage in on-going educational activities for both their employees and the general public regarding the right to accept or refuse treatment and regarding the opportunity for drafting or signing advance directives.

The law was passed by Congress November 5, 1990 and went into effect December 1, 1991. It is based on the principles of informed consent. The law lays the foundation for the exercise of the patient's decision-making authority which will affect the course of treatment for all patients whether or not they possess decisional capacity. By extending the law to all healthcare institutions including hospitals, extended care facilities, hospices, HMOs, and home healthcare agencies virtually all individuals seeking healthcare will be covered. The only exceptions might be those few institutions where services are paid for directly by patients independently of government funding.

315s98cruzan

Better??

 

[Zona]

Not a good idea to post direct to DKos here. The cons will just ignore it like we ignore NewsMax and WorldNutDaily.

I'm shocked you are stupid enough to listen to Daily Kos.

LOLOLOL



The funny thing is, this started under Bush, but for some reason, Fox forgot to mention that. They also forgot to mention Obama's changes to all of this.

 

[Zona]

So Daily KOS isn't a source.

Fine.

In 1990, Congress passed the Patient Self-Determination Act. It required healthcare institutions to tell patients and the people in their communities about their rights under Virginia law to make decisions about their medical care. These rights include the right to accept or refuse care and the right to make advance directives about their care.

Virginia Hospital Center : Information on Advanced Directives

Most hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and HMO's routinely provide information on advance directives at the time of admission.

They are required to do so under a federal law called the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA).

The PSDA simply requires that most health care institutions (but not individual doctors) do the following:

1. Give you at the time of admission a written summary of:

your health care decision-making rights (Each state has developed such a summary for hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies to use.)
the facility's policies with respect to recognizing advance directives.


2. Ask you if you have an advance directive, and document that fact in your medical record if you do. (It is up to you to make sure they get a copy of it).


3. Educate their staff and community about advance directives.


4. Never discriminate against patients based on whether or not they have an advance directive. Thus, it is against the law for them to require either that you have or not have an advance directive.

Health Care Advance Directives: What is the Patient Self-Determination Act? (ABA Division for Public Education)

The requirements of the Patient Self-Determination Act are deceptively simple. In spite of their apparent simplicity they carry profound implications for the way healthcare is practiced. The law mandates that, in those healthcare institutions which receive Medicare or Medicaid funding, patients must be informed in writing upon admission of (1) their right to accept or refuse treatment, (2) their rights under existing state laws regarding advance directives, and (3) any policies which the institution has regarding the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatments.(1) The institutions are also required to engage in on-going educational activities for both their employees and the general public regarding the right to accept or refuse treatment and regarding the opportunity for drafting or signing advance directives.

The law was passed by Congress November 5, 1990 and went into effect December 1, 1991. It is based on the principles of informed consent. The law lays the foundation for the exercise of the patient's decision-making authority which will affect the course of treatment for all patients whether or not they possess decisional capacity. By extending the law to all healthcare institutions including hospitals, extended care facilities, hospices, HMOs, and home healthcare agencies virtually all individuals seeking healthcare will be covered. The only exceptions might be those few institutions where services are paid for directly by patients independently of government funding.

315s98cruzan

Better??

See, now now you just spoiled it.

 

[Emma]

Daily Kos: State of the Nation

Fox's "death book" lie
by Jed Lewison


Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 0803 AM PDT

The deathers at Fox "News" have been caught with their pants down, once again.

This time -- led by Chris Wallace of Fox "News" Sunday -- Fox is alleging that President Obama is trying to prematurely end the lives of millions of veterans by forcing them to read a "death book" that urges them to "pull the plug" and commit "assisted suicide."

Not surprisingly, it turns out that Fox's attack is totally made up. Their so-called "death book" is actually an optional guidebook on drafting living wills that had been listed in a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) handbook by the Bush administration in 2007.



Here's more detail on the garbage being spewed by Fox:

1. Fox's alleged "death book" is actually a guidebook on preparing living wills

The thing Fox is calling a "death book" is actually a guidebook called "Your life, your choices" initially developed in 1997 to help veterans understand issues relating to advance directives and living wills should they ever experience a medical condition (such as a permanent coma) where they cannot communicate their treatment preferences. Although the guidebook can be downloaded, it carries a disclaimer noting that is currently being updated and revised for a 2010 release. (See this article for more information on the revisions.)

Despite Fox's claim that the guide encourages assisted suicide and euthanasia, it is solely focused on helping veterans determine what type of care they wish to receive if they should ever became incapable of making their wishes known. The guidebook specifically makes clear that it has nothing to do with assisted suicide, which is illegal.

2. Although Fox said VHA practitioners must give the guidebook to each of the 24 million vets they serve, there is no such requirement

According to a directive issued in 2007 under President Bush, the guidebook is merely an example of the type of document that VHA practitioners should give to patients who ask for help with living wills.

3. The Bush administration, not the Obama administration, included the guidebook in the VHA handbook.

In February 2007 the Bush administration's VA issued a directive listing the guidebook as an example of the type of documents VHA practitioners should give to patients who want help drafting living wills. In July 2009, the Obama administration issued a minor update to portions of that directive, but did not language on the guidebook at all.

Here's a comparison of the language contained in the Bush directive of February 2007 and the Obama update of July 2009. <more>

http://www.rihlp.org/pubs/Your_life_your_choices.pdf

 

[AllieBaba]

The "Death Book" was removed during the Bush admin. Despite Dem allegations to the opposite, they revived it, despite the fact that it's still being "revised" and forced it down the throats of those who are older, specifically vets, who made the huge mistake of choosing VA hospitals rather than using their own private insurance to treat them.

Those vets, when diagnosed with terminal cancer, were told there was no treatment and given the death book.

Meanwhile, those with private insurance were treated according to their wishes. The vets weren't even given a choice.

Welcome to gov't healthcare.

 

[bodecea]

Why didn't the Democrats get all up in arms about the Republican President's Death List?


I sense a difference........

 

[Emma]

And btw:

NY Times reports on Towey&#39;s attack on "Your Life, Your Choices" without noting he is selling competing booklet | Media Matters for America

Whoopsie!

 

[Political Junky]

The "Death Book" was removed during the Bush admin. Despite Dem allegations to the opposite, they revived it, despite the fact that it's still being "revised" and forced it down the throats of those who are older, specifically vets, who made the huge mistake of choosing VA hospitals rather than using their own private insurance to treat them.

Those vets, when diagnosed with terminal cancer, were told there was no treatment and given the death book.

Meanwhile, those with private insurance were treated according to their wishes. The vets weren't even given a choice.

Welcome to gov't healthcare.

Link?

 

[Emma]

Those vets, when diagnosed with terminal cancer, were told there was no treatment and given the death book.

Bullshit.

 

[AllieBaba]

Bullshit yourself.

 

[AllieBaba]

BTW, I have trademarked "bullshit". No one else is allowed to use it without referencing me.

 

[Emma]

BTW, I have trademarked "bullshit".

Can't argue with you there

 

[Emma]

Why do conservatives want to deny people the right to make determinations regarding their own care?