If you’re getting older, or you’ve got an aging parent, you’ve no doubt heard the latest misinformation campaign about health reform – it will kill old people. Or depending on the source of the rumor, it will use tax dollars to euthanize the elderly, counsel them on suicide, or flat-out deny them care until they die.

President Obama was even asked about this at a recent AARP town hall. "I have been told there is a clause in there that everyone that's Medicare age will be visited and told to decide how they wish to die," the woman told the President. "This bothers me greatly, and I'd like for you to promise me that this is not in this bill."

Obama’s response – it’s not in the bill, promise. What is in the bill is language to help people understand advance care planning and living wills. He said, "The intent here is to simply make sure that you've got more information, and that Medicare will pay for it."

But that hasn’t stopped the health-reform-killing-old-people rumor train from gaining more steam. The blogosphere is seething, and is fed by folks against reform such as Betsy McCaughey in the Wall Street Journal, who wrote, “The counseling would be focused on telling seniors how to end their lives, and it will be against the law to pay for any care that has been denied…The message is clear: Government can save money by encouraging old people to die.”

It’s a brilliant tactic to scare seniors from supporting health reform. The opposition knows seniors are more vocal, and more likely to vote, and what better way to get them to oppose reform than to tell them it would kill them.

So let’s have some facts. AARP has laid out the specific language here, but here is what the provision would do:

Every five years, Medicare will pay for counseling between you and your health care professional that includes:
• An explanation of advance care planning, including key questions and considerations, important steps, and suggested people to talk to.
• An explanation of advance directives, including living wills and durable powers of attorney, and their uses.
• An explanation of the role and responsibilities of a health care proxy.
• A list of national and state resources to assist consumers and their families with advance care planning.
• An explanation of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports available under Medicare.
• An explanation of orders regarding life sustaining treatment or similar orders. The consultation may – or may not – include the actual formulation of an order regarding life sustaining treatment or any advanced directive, and it must be signed by the medical provider (doctor) and the individual. It will state the individual’s preference for treatment and will stay with them, and must be followed by health care professionals.

"The only new thing about the bill is that Medicare will pay for end-of-life counseling every five years," AARP’s Jim Dau told Businessweek. "If you decide to take one of these consultations, you don't have to sign any document before you leave — no advance directives, no living will. These are, as they should be, completely optional."

It’s completely understandable that talking about end-of-life care, living wills and advanced directives is frightening. No one really likes to think about it, let alone plan for it. But the thing about fear is, the more facts and information you have, the less frightening it can be. Having a discussion with your doctor, who knows the facts and medical realities, could help dispel much of the fear, and the myths, about this part of life.

I know first-hand the emotional devastation a family endures when a member doesn’t have an end-of-life plan. My grandmother was one of the most fiercely independent, loving, funny and beautiful people I have known. She so enjoyed her freedom that she lived by herself in an apartment until her mid-90s, turning down an offer to live with her daughter in a retirement community because she wanted to be around a mix of young people, not “a bunch of old folks.”

My grandma didn’t have much, but made sure she wrote down who would get her favorite photos, dinner plates and sewing box. But she never wrote down an end-of-life plan, though she told most of us how she wanted to go – on her own. When she was hit by a major stroke, unable to speak or walk, her only surviving daughter was left with the decision to keep her alive through a feeding tube and oxygen, or let her go without help. It was an agonizing time for the family, but worse for my aunt, who struggled for days before making the decision for her.

That experience taught me the value of making my own decisions about how I want to be treated near the end of my life. I tend to believe that those who included this provision in the health reform bill want to give others good information that will help them do the same.

comments (7)

Wow... If anyone is trying to sell someone a bill of good it's you. That you would cite Betsy McCaughey in an article regarding end of life care takes the cake. Betsy is the one person that has read, and understands, what this legislation would do to seniors. Remember that the "Obamacare" bills that are working there way through the house/senate plan on paying for a good portion with savings gained through Medicare/Medicaid, meaning that seniors will be denied procedures that the gov't deems not worth the cost benefit analysis. Seniors aren't falling for your misinformation with good reason. Even the CBO says that this plan doesn't pass muster and yet you all continue to spew the "talking points" that the Liberal Democrats are trying to pass of. If it doesn't pass the smell test, after much time and debate, than it won't work, and seniors just aren't falling for the inconsistencies. .
The media is what got Obama elected under this "Change" umbrella by never pushing for the hard answers. Well, now you know what happens when a candidate never gives specifics, nor is ever asked the specifics of the "Change" he plans on enacting. Yes, elections have consequences, but until we as Americans take the time to watch over our government and speak up we will continue to get sold a bill of goods. How someone in the media can continue to sell the American people on this crap is truly why the field of journalism now ranks up there with Lawyers as the least trusted. We deserve better from our media and from our government.

I totally agree with this comment

I too agree with the above.

The government just wants to get bigger and bigger ?!
And spend spend spend money, that they do not have !!!

And now that provision has been stricken from the bill!!! Shows what power the American people have when they choose to get off their couches and act!! It's time to rise up, let the REVOLUTION begin!!!

what is your problems let me guess you all have health insurance you can afford well i am one of the millions of people who can and its not because i don't work because i do and so does my husband but we can't do it because of the high prices from the companies and doctors and i want you to know they are not going to kill the older members of america they are tring to help them make their last wishes such as not to be revived, who has the power of attorney many of the older citizens can not afford to make out a will because they are having to live off of their social security and other small incomes that they do receive. so stop with your attitued and remember that there are alot more people who can not afford to have health insurance because of the health insurance companies and who can not or will not get help through medicad or medicare do you want your children to suffer because you are scared of a good change or do you want your children to be able to see a doctor without spending an arm and a leg to be able to stay healthy and be happy seriously grow up america. the people who are actting like it is the end of the world just think you are making us look weak, scared, stupid, and like we are backwoods. other nations do just fine with free healthcare and do they complain NOPE!!!!!!!!

I now have health insurance through medicare that comes right out of my Railroad Social Security check or if I was on Regular Social Security, which the cost is taken out of your check anyway, unless you go through the process of eliminating it, not smart unless you choose to pay for the expense of insurance, and this coverage is good and is as good as any policy you could pay for. If you choose to have the coverage that our president is trying for, then everyone on retirement and getting social security will face the fact that if you get sick they can decide on what is qualified for you, and if they feel you are too sick, they will just let you Die. Please read up on all of this so that you can see that this program that is Socialized medicine type of Insurance is not good. Go to this site and read on it real good.If this is posted I will be surprised.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rRE5UK6NQU

When are you people going to wake up to the fact that this so called health reform is going to cost the american tax payers more than a trillion dollars that our country cannot afford. first of all the government claims that medicare will be broke in five years if not sooner, then how can they take 400 billion away from it to partial pay for this bad health care reform? Now what kind of shape will medicare be in? If this is such a good bill why has it not been passed into law? Your so called President has had a majority in both houses and still cannot pass this bill, that would give me reason to belive that it is not as good as they would have you belive. So quit trying to tell people it is a good bill for every one and leave a bad dead bill go. 

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