Evening Buzz: "Pulling the Plug on Grandma"
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/08/12/health.care.fears/art.health.care.cnn.jpg caption= "The battle over health care reform has energized people on both sides of the debate."]
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
It's still tense on the health care town hall circuit. Some anger. Some shouting. But is the truth being spoken? We're going to dig into that tonight. 360° M.D. is keeping them honest – the constituents asking the questions at the meetings and the members of Congress answering them.
Today, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, one of the few in his party even negotiating health care reform, joined those stoking the notion that it could result in government mandated death panels or as you might have heard - "pulling the plug on grandma."
Is that fact or fiction? Find out tonight on AC360°.
We're also following the tense fight for Afghanistan. U.S. troops battling for control of the country. They're also trying to protect voters who got to the polls next week to choose their president; only the second election since the fall of the Taliban. We'll talk about the challenges with CNN's Michael Ware and Peter Bergen.
And, the search is on for a possible serial killer in North Carolina. Five women found dead on the same stretch of road in past five years. Is one person responsible? Adding to the fear, three other woman in the area are now missing.
Join us for these stories and more starting at 10pm ET. See you then!
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Filed under: Maureen Miller • The Buzz |
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WOULD YOU WANT TO LIVE IF YOU HAD ALZHEIMERS? I think not! There are worse things than death!! God help us!!
Excuse me if we Democrats were actually out protesting George W. Bush and his Republican congress when they passed the Pharmaceutical Bill but had to borrow the money from the Chinese to pay for it. The only people who benefited from that bill was the Drug Companies who got $32 Billion. That's a lot of money to repay a contributor to your campaign...........
Please don't forget: CEO's of those healthcare insurance companies are making $35 Million per year in wages.
Who do you expect is paying for that?????
You people should read HR 3200 before you defend it, as you are all so blindly doing, just like voting for Obama, an empty suit who has done nothing in his life to qualify him to run the United States. Further, it is every American's right to voice their opinion, and unlike the unruly crowd who were out in droves protesting against Bush. Further, the liberals are the ones who are violent and mean spirited when expressing their opinions, unlike the average citizens who attended the town hall meetings. The only time they got violent was when the liberals sent in the union thugs. You want to bury your head in the sand, or in CNN and the other MSM about how wonderful the "Obamacare is", do it, but don't get on this website with opinions about something you know nothing about. The people who are voicing their concerns are the ones who have bothered to read the bill,not just listen to the MSM and CNN who are so pro-obama they just report whatever the liberals tell them to say.
Here are some facts; USA places 42nd world wide for life expectancy, behind every country with a Govt. run care system. The USA spends more per person (double actually) than any other country in the world. 15-20% of Americans have no coverage at all. Your insurance companies, hospitals, HMO's, drug companies etc. take huge chunks of your Health Care dollars. Likely over 50% which is why you are spending so much. Yet you are constantly being denied service if the HMO's can pull it off.
Someone wrote in that Canadian Cancer deaths are 25% higher than the USA. Well please put in were you got this figure I certainly can't find it. Also a comment that Canadians are rushing to the USA for your superior care. I can't find anything to back that one up either.
Please type in "World wide Life Expectancy" on your computer & visit some of the web sites there. One person makes a STUPID Remark, & all at once it becomes truth. Read & know what you are talking about or don't bother to post as misinformation is what is causing all this ruckus.
John Fedor posts that there are "two cases in the State of Oregon where the patients were told the cost of the cancer drug was too expensive, BUT, were compassionately offered the life ending pills instead!"
That is completely UNTRUE. There was one case where a woman who was on the Oregon Health Plan was demanding that they provide a $4,000 a month new type of chemo. The State insurance program for welfare receptients – The Oregon Health Plan, said they couldn't approve the NEW type of chemo she requested but "here are the alternatives". And, one of those alternatives was "physician aid in dying" which could also mean pain medication while she dies, not particularly assisted suicide. The Oregon Health Plan has only so much money and it was selfish of her to want an expensive chemo when there was no hope for her to recover from the cancer and the expense would prevent other patients from getting treatment which could allow them to live.
Why do you keep saying the same things over and over again, Berry?
If you understood the language of the bill you wouldn't be so concerned; but I'm pretty sure you were against it in the first place.
Tort reform has little, if any, effect on the cost of medical care. Besides that, if it is YOU who needs to DO the suing, you want that option to be fairly treated by the courts.
At least people in Oregon, Washington and Montana can choose how, where and with whom they die when doctors tell them they have just a short time to live. I would rather die at home with my loved ones and say goodbye than to go through the pain my little sister just did when she died of spinal osteosarcoma cancer. Again, I think people should have the choice but there are those who say they want government out of their lives but continue to try to take those choices away from others.
But, that's not what the Healthcare bill alludes to at all. It is so that we don't continue to feed people like Terri Schavo simply because they didn't make their choices known in writing. So, to encourage doctors to counsel their patients, the Healthcare bill simply pays them for the consultation. They fill out a form with their wishes before they become mentally incompetent to do so. And that is a good thing – not matter what Betsy McCaughney says.
If, I , like my mother and grandmothers, end up with alzheimers. want the plug pulled! Do you really call that LIVING??? No, it's called "barely" existing!! There ARE worse things than death!!!
Why is'nt someone asking why, if the Democrats have control of the House, Senate (filibuster proof majority in the Senate ) and the White House They cannot get this Health Care Reform passed for the American people ? They have been fighting for this Legislation for 60 years and to have the Majority and still not get this done makes no sense. The Republicans are NOT needed. This will be Historic Legislation ( right up there with the Civil Rights Legislation ) and this should be a rallying point for the Democrats, to finally after all these years get this done for America. The longer they wait and allow lies and mis-information to spread the more likelyhood of defeat. To allow the Republicans or the insurance companies to water down or change this bill in anyway would be a crime against the American People who have waited so long for this. Are the Democrats so dysfunctional that they can't get this done for America ? They will lose alot of support if they fail to get this passed as is. Could possibly start the formation of a third party ! Where is the Leadership from the White House ? Lets hope Senator Kennedy is still alive to see this get passed ! It was his lifes work to get this done for the American people !
Anderson,
The government admits that they cannot control the costs with the current medicare program (there is so much slop we can tap into it for funding of the new effort). When and if health care passes it will be the biggest bust for the health care system, costs will go out of control.
I'm glad we are finally looking into the healthcare in our country rather than go from term to term and nothing happens we just continue the trend of our current situation which is not any better.
Praying for you President Obama and the Administration.
Thanks to all of you Canadian's who have been writing in and showing just how some of these folks are uneducated about your health care.