Dear Editor:
I'd like to call your attention to the Aug. 30 article by Pam Belluck: "Coverage for End-of-Life Talks Gaining Ground". (www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/health/end-of-life-talks-may-finally-overcome-politics.html?_r=0 ).
Well, here we are a little farther down the slippery slope to death panels. Pertinent quotes from the articles are: "the issue of paying doctors to talk to patients about end-of-life care is making a comeback, and such sessions may be covered for the 50 million Americans on Medicare as early as next year."
"Bypassing the political process, private insurers have begun reimbursing doctors for these "advance care planning' conversations as interest in them rises along with the number of aging Americans."
"Some states, including Colorado and Oregon, recently began covering the sessions for Medicaid patients."
"But far more significant, Medicare may begin covering end-of-life discussions next year if it approves a recent request from the American Medical Association, the country's largest association of physicians and medical students. One of the AMA's roles is to create billing codes for medical services, codes used by doctors, hospitals and insurers. It recently created codes for end-of-life conversations and submitted them to Medicare."
I think anyone should know what's really behind this push toward death panels by government and insurance providers is money.
Wasn't the VA abuses of our veterans medical care really about saving money by inadequate medical personal staffing at the expense of our veterans well being and lives? Why would anyone think it would be any better and probably worse for non-veterans when it becomes an economic incentive to consider death rather than cover the additional medical cost that may possibly result in a cure? How on earth do you think Obamacare is going to pay for all the illegal immigrants that are about to become citizens plus the rapidly increasing cost of Medicaid?
I'll tell you how. By insurers doing their level best to make sure anyone who doesn't have a better than 50-50 chance of recovery is a candidate for "end-of-life counseling." Then what if you say no to the counseling or decide against death? My guess is your medical benefits will be cut off.
This to me is just a back door to a kinder and gentler way to eliminate the economic burden of the infirm than the Nazis used to eliminate the non-Aryans from Germany.
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