When IS it futile to stop all medical help because it's just gettin' too darned expensive for the state to keep that patient alive? Mr. Obama, IN THIS ARTICLE IN THE LA SLIMES, says this: ".... families need better information so they don't unthinkingly approve "additional tests or additional drugs that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care."
I think there should be a time when we know it's really 'over' and nothing can be done and we shouldn't go beyond that, but something about his use of the word 'necessarily' bothers me.....does it you?
Here's Mustang's excellent health care piece again.......I recommend it.
thanks to my friend K, for the LA Times head's up.
z
18 comments:
everyone is welcome to 'swipe' the 800 number to the capital switchboard...
When I get a minute-I would like to 'swipe' the Congressional list from this post -Z-
actually- from your post below :-)
Odd selection for a cartoon, z, since it depicts the current situation accurately.
Carol...go ahead, swipe away!
Ducky, it fits what obama's got planned. Read the article.
Insurance just paid for an EIGHT bypass for a 96 yr old friend of ours, last October...he didn't get turned down.
He would have..in a year.
I think that medical decisions should be made in consultation between the patient, the family, and the doctors.
It was bad enough when the insurance companies inserted themselves into the process... looks at HMOs.
The last think we need is to have the government installing themselves as the arbiters of health care.
Cube...maybe HMO's have...I haven't been aware of it...
I'll concede Ducky might be right about HMO's but... this HMO situation will pale in comparison to OBAMA "CARE"...
he'll take the HEAL out of HEALTH, trust me.
Rush Limbaugh, when even the head of the Republican Party is reduced to buying his drugs on the black market, surely it's time for health care reform!
Ducky, I hope you are NEVER in the desperate pain he's in...he still is.
nice of you.
I'm wondering if this makes abortion that much more controversial a topic. If the government foots the bills and makes the decisions, what happens if they decide it's too expensive to care for babies with Downs Syndrome? Will abortion be encouraged in the name of fiscal responsibility? (I can't imagine such a government body not being in chronic financial crisis.) Is Tio Bowser just paranoid?
tio b
tio, makes a lot of sense to me. I hope you're absolutely WRONG, don't you?
Let's face it, the left has a fascination with abortion; My gosh! it gets so later and later term is approved now....they can't WAIT to get pro abortion judges in the SCOTUS, they love pro abortion presidential candidates, they can't wait to advertise all over the place how ONE abortion doctor killer IS CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVE (even if they're not...news they give AFTER the news cycle's run its course, of course), etc etc..
the fascination is positively bizarre...
and now this..You make perfect sense to me. sadly
When the HMOs starting "managing" (Health Management Organization) health care, I got scared. We've got LVN's (and less educated people) making medical decisions for us when like Cube said, the decisions should be between the doctors, patients, and family.
I've spent MANY hours on the phone with insurance reps arguing for better coverage. We've had claims denied that would've gone unpaid had I not called repeatedly and argued with them. The patient is ultimately the final word. Nobody else will defend you. You are your only hope. I hate to say it, but we must become more informed and empowered regarding our health and medical care.
Partner with a good doctor / doctors and DO NOT settle for poor care. Do your research and at least "act" informed. Chances are, you know more than the person on the other end of the phone.
Rationing is part and parcel of socialized medicine. It has to be so because that's what the system is designed to do.
...the evidence shows is not necessarily...
All evidence is tainted with a small amount of bias. With the government in charge, more and more of the data will be tainted with a bias against providing costly end-of-life care.
ugh.
it's health maintenance organization.
You'll be hard pressed to get major surgery done if you need it, but I'll bet every lazy-assed liberal over 50 will get themselves a free "hoveround!"
Did you ever notice how most conservatives won't go get free government stuff because they're to proud to, but the liberals have their money-grubbing paws stuck right out there. It's sickening.
Speaking from the medical side, I have seen my share of families insist in very aggressive care up to the very end for mom/dad/wife/husband etc., even when doing so only prolongs suffering. But if they do that KNOWING that is the case, who is the government to step in and deny that choice?
Dr. John,
judging by how our gov't sees nothing sacred about human life, gov't has NO place in making life and death decisions. (I know your question was rhetorical. :-)
In my opinion, the road we're going down is just a continuation of Roe v. Wade. If we can successfully devalue the life of the innocent unborn and convince ourselves that it's acceptable to dispose of them (because they are inconvenient and a drain on society), then we'll do the same on down the line.
I'm not a consipiracy theorist. But in this area, we've seen it play out before.
The disabled and elderly are next. It may take a while, but it will happen if we don't stop this.
Dr J and Jen..you're so right.
You both know how terribly important abortion is to the Left...it's like EVERYTHING hinges on it and they can't risk letting obama's stay in the WH not appoint SCOTUS to make SURE Roe V Wade doesn't get overturned.
It's why they are STILL slamming and mischaracterizing the Right.....why else? They've GOT EVERYTHING right now and people like Robert Gibbs, Obama,..even Ducky..are uglier than EVER towards the Right.
it's positively weird.
They've got to cling on to that abortion card..........
you wonder WHY ?? WHY is it SO DARNED IMPORTANT?
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