Death panel fears force Obama, health reformers to hide

[Anon]

In my opinion, if an individual at the end of their life wishes to not have any extraordinary means used to keep them alive (as expressed during a time of lucid thought), then they should be afforded that dignity. This includes being able to choose whether to eat or not or to be force fed or not.

I certainly agree, but the idea that there is a possibility that the government will eventually force that on people...or withhold treatment from, say, a 70 year old cancer patient (if they are willing to pay their share) then that is when it gets a little spooky.

[no name joe]

My dad's doctor just told him that under OBamacare, the doctors have to get permission from the insurance company/government (whichever applies) to use treatments on the patient, starting next year. Don't know all the details, but it sounds very much as if authority for health care is being transferred from doctors, to the institutions paying for it, which will eventually be solely the government.

If there are no "official death panels" then the idea is still out there. Its very expensive to keep people on end-of-life care. I imagine that luxury will be ending eventually.

The thing is, this already goes on in private insurance. A doctor cannot just do a treatment and get reimbursed without getting approval from the insurance company. They have to make sure the insurance comapny will pay for it and that it is covered under the policy.

Either a private individual whose jOB it is to make sure the insurance company makes money will decide whether treatment will be granted or withheld, or government will. One or the other. It is the same difference, in my opinion.

[Anon]

The thing is, this already goes on in private insurance. A doctor cannot just do a treatment and get reimbursed without getting approval from the insurance company. They have to make sure the insurance comapny will pay for it and that it is covered under the policy.

Either a private individual whose jOB it is to make sure the insurance company makes money will decide whether treatment will be granted or withheld, or government will. One or the other. It is the same difference, in my opinion.

I know it does to an extent, but I think OBamaCare must take it to the next level, otherwise this doctor would not have said this to my dad. There are many treatments that do NOT have to be preapproved by insurance to get them....I think in the 8 years we've been here, we've only needed preapproval for a handful of treatments, usually special drugs or surgeries.

[1Timothy115]

I will be doing a medical power of attourney for my mother soon. I'm dragging my feet but it must be done.

[JerryNumbers]

I agree, having been in that situation with several close family members including my father and mother. My mother was in a nursing home for more than 7 years knowing no one, curled up like a baby, hollering out quite loud from time to time.

Of course we did not have a written directives to go by, it was left up to me. I did not mind this, in fact I took it as a compliment that father, mother, and a few other loved ones would trust me with such important decisions on their behalf.

Honestly, I fail to understand the person that does not want to do this for their loved ones, for its actually the last and most important thing you can do on their behalf. And there is no way theses decisions can be made before hand, I will explain more on that latter.

Yes, its heart breaking, we just do not like to be in such situations for we all hate to lose our loved ones. Yet, there comes a time we have to man up and do such things.

And there can come a time in a persons life that its time to stop giving them treatment for they have nothing to build to, their health is so deteriorated, and its time to keep them as comfortable as possible, not prolonging what is at hand.

I do not believe in written statements from a person for those days, and this is the reason.

A fear ago a young man was in a wreck, the driver was killed. In the hospital if he had had such a written statement the doctors would have unhooked him from life support, for they tried as they could to get his loved ones to tell them to unhook him. They said he was brain dead, that even if he lived he would be a vegetable.

This young mans family kept delaying this, the doctors kept on pushing them to unhook, there is no life in him. And perhaps if they had followed the doctors orders right after this wreck it would have murdered him.

Finally after more than 2 weeks with the doctors encouraging them every day to unhook they decided to call in the family and unhook him. It took more than 2 days for all family member to arrived at the hospital. One evening after the family had been present and all of them had visited with him the doctors telling them your doing the right thing they unhooked him.

Yet he did not die. In fact in about 5 weeks he walked out of the hospital, he remember everything except for the time he was unconscious. He remember the instant of the wreck, and every moment after he gained consciousness. About 4 weeks out of the hospital he was in church with his wife and daughter.

Yes, I firmly believe if he had a written statement saying do not keep me alive with tubes and such the doctors would have murdered him, yet a loving family listen to their heart and God, and he lived.

One thing we don't want, that's the government between the family and their doctor giving orders. Our elected congressmen, president, knows well that is an easy way of cutting spending, spending that will have no effect on them and their loved ones, that makes it easy for them to vote for their death and saved money.

PS. There seems to be times when the treatment is worse than death, especially with some cancer patients taking chemo therapy, and a few other treatments.