President Obama Pulls the Plug on Elderly End-of-Life Counseling

[Better Believe It]

Obama Pulls Plug on Elderly End-of-Life Counseling
By: Scarecrow
January 5, 2011

Proving once again that he may be the most cowardly President ever to occupy the White House, President Obama ordered the folks writing the regulations that would have compensated doctors for providing voluntary end-of-life counseling if requested by their patients to delete that regulation. From the New York Times:

The Obama administration, reversing course, will revise a Medicare regulation to delete references to end-of-life planning as part of the annual physical examinations covered under the new health care law, administration officials said Tuesday.

The move is an abrupt shift, coming just days after the new policy took effect on Jan. 1.

Many doctors and providers of hospice care had praised the regulation, which listed “advance care planning” as one of the services that could be offered in the “annual wellness visit” for Medicare beneficiaries.

http://my.firedoglake.com/scarecrow/2011/01/05/obama-pulls-plug-on-elderly-end-of-life-counseling/


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U.S. Alters Rule on Paying for End-of-Life Planning
By ROBERT PEAR
January 4, 2011

The Obama administration, reversing course, will revise a Medicare regulation to delete references to end-of-life planning as part of the annual physical examinations covered under the new health care law, administration officials said Tuesday.

The move is an abrupt shift, coming just days after the new policy took effect on Jan. 1.

Many doctors and providers of hospice care had praised the regulation, which listed “advance care planning” as one of the services that could be offered in the “annual wellness visit” for Medicare beneficiaries.

While administration officials cited procedural reasons for changing the rule, it was clear that political concerns were also a factor. The renewed debate over advance care planning threatened to become a distraction to administration officials who were gearing up to defend the health law against attack by the new Republican majority in the House.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/health/policy/05health.html?exprod=myyahoo

[niyad]

1. disgusting, but not exactly surprising

[RKP5637]

2. I just don't know WTF ails many people in this country anymore. This was an

excellent regulation, “advanced care planning.” Everyone has to go through this, WTF, do they think they're living forever. The stupid in this country is pretty severe. God people are dumb. Many Americans are just plain stupid, we really have to get used to that.

[Raine]

11. When my father was at the end of his life I was so grateful

that the hospital sent someone from Palative Care to talk to us. It was such a great help and relieved much of the stress. Such a worthwhile provision and no one had the guts to stand up for it! :mad:

[w8liftinglady]

23. so was I. The VA helped set up home hospice for my dad

and he was allowed to die with dignity and comfort.

[Shandris]

3. I found that the quickest way to end conversation on this topic...

...was to refer to 'End of Life Counseling' as 'talking about a Living Will' since essentially they're the same thing. The conservatives I know (which includes every last member of my entire family save me) all subscribe to the idea that Living Wills are a good thing, and once they realize that that is all this is about, they drop all complaining about it.

We should have messaged it differently.

[RKP5637]

4. Agree! The wording should have been different and it probably would have

gone through OK.

[Raine]

6. As usual he let the repukes define it when they called it a

"death panel", he never ever took control even over the wording. x(

[jtown1123]

17. This is so disappointing. He let a bold faced lie dictate his actions.

[CTyankee]

18. But how could he "take control"? The media barely let a word in edgewise

against all the "death panel" talk by the RW. There WERE some spokespersons who defended it, but they got sparse press attention, while the death panel folks's remarks were blaring from every newscast and newspaper.

Americans "know" that they are going to die at some point. But they are notorious for not wanting to face up to it.

I guess that's what makes America "exceptional." We're idiots...

[jtown1123]

20. Simple. He has his own freaking Press Secretary. Calls a news conference. There are hundreds

of reporters who strictly cover the White House. Make a video and post it on WhiteHouse.Gov. Tweet it. When the President talks, people will listen. He has the biggest bully pulpit in this country.

[CTyankee]

25. They can hold all the press conferences they want. If the MSM don't want to cover it

it won't get covered. A few voices were let in, but far from enough. The White House can do a lot, but we have a so-called "free press" in this country...yup, free to bar anything they don't feel like giving air to. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin et al were on the MSM 24/7 talking about death panels. The tea baggers screaming gets air time. Anybody reasonable is "boring" so the media just ignores them.

Yes, in a perfect world what you say makes sense. We are, however, living in an insane world...

[jtown1123]

27. The president's press conferences are always covered. Maybe not to a great degree

on TV media (Fox), but NY Times, AP, Washington Post, plus Reuters and other main news sources always do. You don't think the President calling a conference calling the death panel a bold faced lie and getting passionate on the subject wouldn't get a lot of coverage?

[CTyankee]

28. Oh, I'd like to see it, sure. Politics however, are insane...

so we have to stop making sense...doncha see?

[walldude]

16. So instead of rewording it and explaining it

we just drop it. Republicans can't repeal the bill they don't hold the senate, so I guess we are just going to do it for them. One piece at a time.

[CTyankee]

26. My guess is that this topic didn't do so well in "focus groups" which

political parties hold all the time (my son in law's niche as a political consultant is this area...he's a Dem, btw).

I do think the admin is far too tame on this topic, but they don't want to bring any potential "negatives" at a time when the whole health care reform effort is hanging in the balance (at least to their way of thinking).

I also guess that they feel that end of life counselling is going on anyway at hospitals everywhere...not an excuse certainly and may not even be true, but when were admins EVER NOT deluding themselves...

[Dawgs]

5. Must be all of those progressives in his administration telling him that this is a good idea.

Not surprised and still disappointed.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

7. LOL...one of the few good things about this crap "reform."

Unbelievable.

[Raine]

12. yup, the thing of most value in

the big insurance pharma bill and it gets cut with no one defending it ... so infuriating. :grr:

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lame54]

9. Day one

[inna]

10. what are you counting?

[lame54]

14. the day the repugs took over the house...

and he's already giving away the best parts of the health care plan

[spanone]

13. just proves how skilled the pukes are at framing and how unwilling dems are to fight

it's pathetic

the death panel morons just won that argument...truth is irrelevant

[ileus]

15. It's part of our standard of care already....

and it's not billed for.


Solution: Make it a unbillable requirement.

[mmonk]

19. Wouldn't it be wild if he listened to the people who voted him into

office the way he listens to the right? No telling what we could have gotten or could get.

[MadHound]

21. Does not bode well for his inclination to fight for anything,

Including Social Security and Medicare.

It is obvious that the man either doesn't want to, or doesn't know how to fight. This is not a good trait for the leader of the country.

[jtown1123]

22. I've come to the conclusion he is not a leader. He has no strong convictions. A victory, for him, is

compromising with people as nutso as the GOP. Compromise = victory, is not the meme of a strong leader.

[bullwinkle428]

24. Does he not even realize how this plays into the disgusting lies

from Palin & Co.?

Is he TRYING to put together a campaign platform for her?