Modbert
Daydream Believer
- Sep 2, 2008
- 33,178
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PolitiFact | McCaughey claims end-of-life counseling will be required for Medicare patients
The Statement: The health care reform bill "would make it mandatory -- absolutely require -- that every five years people in Medicare have a required counseling session that will tell them how to end their life sooner."
The Ruling: Pants on Fire
Well look at that, that whole myth that this new Health Care Reform is going to force Seniors to die or that they will be advised to die is a myth! Who knew, such partisan statements were lies!
Look at that, a valuable voluntary thing that Medicare will pay for. How shameful!
In other words, Myth *stamps* Busted.
The Statement: The health care reform bill "would make it mandatory -- absolutely require -- that every five years people in Medicare have a required counseling session that will tell them how to end their life sooner."
The Ruling: Pants on Fire
Jon Keyserling, general counsel and vice president of public policy for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, which supports the provision, said the bill doesn't encourage seniors to end their lives, it just allows some important counseling for decisions that take time and consideration.
"These are very serious conversations," he said. "It needs to be an informative conversation from the medical side and it needs to be thought about carefully by the patient and their families."
In no way would these sessions be designed to encourage patients to end their lives, said Jim Dau, national spokeman for AARP, a group that represents people over 50 years of age and that has lobbied in support of the advanced planning provision.
For his part, Keyserling said he and outside counsel read the language carefully to make sure that was not the case.
"Neither of us can come to the conclusion that it's mandatory." he said. "This new consultation is just like all in Medicare: it's voluntary."
"The only thing mandatory is that Medicare will have to pay for the counseling," said Dau.
Well look at that, that whole myth that this new Health Care Reform is going to force Seniors to die or that they will be advised to die is a myth! Who knew, such partisan statements were lies!
Look at that, a valuable voluntary thing that Medicare will pay for. How shameful!
In other words, Myth *stamps* Busted.