Home > Opinion > Peter Roff > Score One for Sarah Palin on the Healthcare Reform Death Panels

Score One for Sarah Palin on the Healthcare Reform Death Panels

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Note: The 2 organizations Roff is associated with - Institute for Liberty, and Let Freedom Ring - are very partisan right wing organizations, certainly not non-partisan as Roff's blurb suggests. The names alone suggest as much, but the websites nail it. I stopped wearing 3-cornered hats when I was a kid. When are you going to grow up, Roff?
Institute for Liberty
"An advocacy organization dedicated to combating the petty-tyrannies of government, especially the impact of an ever-expanding regulatory state on small..."
"Let Freedom Ring is a non-profit, grassroots organization supporting the Conservative agenda and countering the efforts of 527 organizations like MoveOn.org"

swatter of DC 9:39PM July 19, 2010

I may have commented on this before, but ran across it again now. I haven't read USNWR recently, and I guess this suggests I haven't missed much.
I read that part of the bill; the authors did not, or, are liars like Palin, Boehner, and all the republicans running for cover and angling for advantage. All it does is allow medicare to pay for an end of life discussion every 5 years for those over whatever age to help them plan while they still can in order to avoid Terri Schiavo scenarios and bringing in the lawyers - this should have made conservatives happy! Having this discussion with patients is one of many quality factors in rating doctors. Nothing is mandatory about it, there are no preconceived outcomes suggested. Bottom line: there is no way to mis-interpret the bill that way, except for an intentional misinterpretation. That Palin directed a day to be Healthcare decisions day in 2008 in Alaska, as posted before, makes it even more absurd.
The alternative: medicare doesn't pay for this discussion - patients either pay out of pocket or some may not have this discussion, which sometimes will end up with patients unable to make their own decisions and in come the lawyers.
As for it being taken out, a) hardly an admission that Palin was right - more an admission that it wasn't very important in the whole scheme of things and that there were too many paranoid idiots out there like the authors of this article who would not be convinced by actual evidence because they were unwilling to listen or think; b) the passed bill still has this in it, so a BIG RASPBERRY to the authors.

swatter of DC 9:32PM July 19, 2010

Sarah Palin really is a lady that is self-centered and needs to think about allot more than just herself and her failing career. People are amazed at the popularity of a hated woman, who is only out to make a buck. Take health care from her family for one year and have them deal with the limited public health clinics; which only if there is a opening and see how quick she jumps on the band wagon for health care. Those who have never consider those who do not have. Palin get a reality of real life. We once asked her to help us with the homeless and she deleted us from face book. What a winner she is, she needs 24/7 prayer.
Sarah Palin Unveils Target List for Midterm Elections

Noran of CA 8:28PM March 23, 2010

I think it was a great idea to instruct people and let them choose... but as usual one person screws everything... thanks Sarah

Jay of WA 12:02AM August 21, 2009

Healthcare Decisions Day Printer Friendly
WHEREAS, Healthcare Decisions Day is designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for healthcare decisions, related to end of life care and medical decision-making whenever patients are unable to speak for themselves and to encourage the specific use of advance directives to communicate these important healthcare decisions. WHEREAS, in Alaska, Alaska Statute 13.52 provides the specifics of the advance directives law and offers a model form for patient use.
WHEREAS, it is estimated that only about 20 percent of people in Alaska have executed an advance directive. Moreover, it is estimated that less than 50 percent of severely or terminally ill patients have an advance directive.
WHEREAS, it is likely that a significant reason for these low percentages is that there is both a lack of knowledge and considerable confusion in the public about Advance Directives.
WHEREAS, one of the principal goals of Healthcare Decisions Day is to encourage hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and hospices to participate in a statewide effort to provide clear and consistent information to the public about advance directives, as well as to encourage medical professionals and lawyers to volunteer their time and efforts to improve public knowledge and increase the number of Alaska’s citizens with advance directives.
WHEREAS, the Foundation for End of Life Care in Juneau, Alaska, and other organizations throughout the United States have endorsed this event and are committed to educating the public about the importance of discussing healthcare choices and executing advance directives.
WHEREAS, as a result of April 16, 2008, being recognized as Healthcare Decisions Day in Alaska, more citizens will have conversations about their healthcare decisions; more citizens will execute advance directives to make their wishes known; and fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sarah Palin, Governor of the state of Alaska, do hereby proclaim April 16, 2008, as:
Healthcare Decisions Day in Alaska, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Patricia of PA 10:24PM August 16, 2009

Why does the change in the legislation have to be an admission that Palin knew anything?
A perfectly reasonable interpretation of the move is that it's an admission that people are vulnerable to lies and histrionics. To me, it looks like an admission that Palin won't shut up no matter how many times a non-partisan fact-checking organization tells you it's a lie.

Meryl of CA 5:52PM August 16, 2009

What ever one thinks of Sarah Palin one thing is for sure. She played hardball and won the death panel debate...Not too bad for a non ivy leager!

Johnny Yahoo of CA 4:23PM August 16, 2009

The "unintended consequence" of reimbursement for voluntary physician end-of-life couseling is Mandatory Death Panels Designed to Kill Grandma?!?
It would be laugh-out-loud funny if there weren't so many really stupid people buying into this.
The folks that are falling for this are the same ones that show up at the town halls shouting that they hate socialized medicine, but you'd better not touch my Medicare. So Roff and USNWR just feed their paranoia without informing them on the issues.
I don't know which is saddest: That Roff submits this kind of garbage, that USNWR publishes it, that politicians, the insurance companies that own them, and their other paid minions pretend it makes sense, or that some people are actually dumb enough to believe it.
Absolute, politically opportunistic, self-serving, lying drivel.

jimatmadison of WI 11:39AM August 16, 2009

Denying a patient and family discussion of end of life options is no different than denying your teenager information on birth control and safe-sex. Palin has the intelligence, compassion and the ethics of a scorpion.

Sonia Kermaz of CO 11:28AM August 16, 2009

ITS A REAL SHAME FUNDING FOR EDUCATION AND HELP TO DO WILLS AND POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH CARE AND MORE WAS CUT
Alaska gets $533 per person fed Pork vs AVERAGE UNDER $25. SHE HAD TO turn her back on ALASKA -QUIT her job - TO DUMP her attachment to many things would sink her personal plans in 2012.
Because Sara Palin who also proposed this VERY SAME THING in the job she quit.-
with RUSH and some others TWISTED THE FACTS and heavily advertised thier FAKE version.
KEEPING IT IN ONCE SO MUCH DAMAGE to The TRUTH WAS DONE was TOO DISRUPTIVE.
Score one for Far Right Elitists vs America's Seniors

dc m of CA 11:28AM August 16, 2009