I've received, oh, about a hundred agitated e-mails from older folk who have swallowed whole the lie pushed by Betsy McCaughey that the House health care bill would pressure seniors to end their lives sooner than they wish.  My correspondents all pass on the info passed on to them that terrible things are contained on pages 425 and 426 of HR3200.

If they had read these pages, they'd note that there are no requirements to discuss end-of-life care with anyone anywhere.  What seniors are being given is a new benefit in which Medicare would pay doctors  to discuss these matters, and only if beneficiaries want it.

The puppet-masters scaring these good people have notably made no mention of pages 427 and beyond, which cover ways to ensure that  orders for life sustaining treatments are respected. The key passage reads:

1 ‘‘(I) in which all legal barriers have been
2 addressed for enabling orders for life sustaining
3 treatment to constitute a set of medical orders
4 respected across all care settings; and
5 ‘‘(II) that has in effect a program for or6
ders for life sustaining treatment described in
7 clause (iii).
8 ‘‘(iii) A program for orders for life sustaining
9 treatment for a States described in this clause is a
10 program that—
11 ‘‘(I) ensures such orders are standardized
12 and uniquely identifiable throughout the State;
13 ‘‘(II) distributes or makes accessible such
14 orders to physicians and other health profes15
sionals that (acting within the scope of the pro16
fessional's authority under State law) may sign
17 orders for life sustaining treatment;
18 ‘‘(III) provides training for health care
19 professionals across the continuum of care
20 about the goals and use of orders for life sus21
taining treatment

As a public service, I quote the entire section on ADVANCE CARE PLANNING CONSULTATION at fromaharrop.com.