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August 11, 2009

Eugene Robinson: Behind the Rage, a Cold Reality

Clearly, Grandma has a right to be worried:

[...] reform is being sold not just as a moral obligation but also as a way to control rising health-care costs. That should have been a separate discussion. It is not illogical for skeptics to suspect that if millions of people are going to be newly covered by health insurance, either costs are going to skyrocket or services are going to be curtailed.

The unvarnished truth is that services are ultimately going to have to be curtailed regardless of what happens with reform. We perform more expensive tests, questionable surgeries and high-tech diagnostic scans than we can afford. We spend unsustainable amounts of money on patients during the final year of life.

Yes, it's true that doctors order some questionable procedures defensively, to keep from getting sued. But it's a cop-out to blame the doctors or the tort lawyers. We're the ones who demand these tests, scans and surgeries. And why not? If a technology exists that can prolong life or improve its quality, even for a few weeks or months, why shouldn't we want it?

That's the reason people are so frightened and enraged about the proposed measure that would allow Medicare to pay for end-of-life counseling. If the government says it has to control health-care costs and then offers to pay doctors to give advice about hospice care, citizens are not delusional to conclude that the goal is to reduce end-of-life spending. It's irresponsible for politicians, such as Sarah Palin, to claim -- outlandishly and falsely -- that there's going to be some kind of "death panel" to decide when to pull the plug on Aunt Sylvia. But it's understandable why people might associate the phrase "health-care reform" with limiting their choices during Aunt Sylvia's final days.

While I agree that Sarah Palin's comment was at the very least, unhelpful, I beg to differ in regard to the idea of needing to (or having the government determine how and when to) "limit choices during Aunt Sylvia's final days." After all, who is to know how many days Aunt Sarah really has? As I noted here (see my commentary at bottom of post) regarding my own battles with terminal cancer, under Obamacare I would have died 7 years ago. When it comes to "final days," that's not for anyone other than ourselves and God to decide.

Hat tip - Rich Lowry

Posted by Richard at August 11, 2009 2:17 PM

• Eugene Robinson: Behind the Rage, a Cold Reality - Aug 11, 2009